


Lost and Found

by LadyDarkPhoenix (Phoenixfire), Somiko_Raven



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Hawkeye (Comics), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Abortion mention, Bucky Barnes is a father, Eating Disorder, F/F, F/M, Gang Rape, Gangbang, Humiliation, Hurt/Comfort, Hydra Steve Rogers, Implied Hydra Trash Party, M/M, Multi, Multiple Personalities, Physical Abuse, Torture, anger issues, domestic abuse, hand mutilation, hydra!cap, mentions of suicidal ideations, non-con, psychological abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2018-09-13 21:43:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9143410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenixfire/pseuds/LadyDarkPhoenix, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Somiko_Raven/pseuds/Somiko_Raven
Summary: Learning that Steve was HYDRA all along was just the beginning of Bucky's messy life after gaining his freedom from the organization. Upon meeting two young women, he learns that maybe he had no idea what all had been done to him after all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings and tags are for later chapters! Any missed tags will be added later.
> 
> This is the random brain child of a random post, dead rp game and original characters wasting away with nothing to do.

**Lost and Found Chapter 1**  
**\----**

"HYDRA...?" He ran his hands through his hair, trying to comprehend. "HYDRA?! Are you kidding me, Steve?!"

"Bucky --"

"They're the ones that did this to me!! They made me this.. monster!!" Bucky swung his metallic arm, smashing the wall, leaving a large hole. Betrayal. Such a depressing turn of events left Bucky wondering who there was he could truly turn to. Steve was the one bright light he had on the dark days, his whole reason for staying out of cryo, the shining poster boy for all that was good and just in the world. He was a HYDRA agent all this time? Bucky wondered if his accident on the train was really what it seemed, or did Steve set him up to gain status with his superiors?

"I didn't know that they would ever do something to you, Buck," Steve tried to tell him. "When I learned about what happened, of course I would have done everything I could to save you!"

Bucky's temper exploded. He pinned Steve against the wall with his metal hand against his neck. "You tried to save me?!!!! They didn't exactly hide the fact that they had The Winter Soldier!!!! Decades of torture and pain is what I had to live through for your precious HYDRA and you say you would have saved me!!!" He snorted in disgust. "I bet you let me fall from the train just for fun, you bastard."

Steve didn't try to fight back. "I did not _let you_ fall, Bucky. I believed you were dead! They didn't use your name or I would have --"

Bucky tightened his grip. "Would have what, Steve?! They took everything from me! They never used my name because I wasn't human to them! I was nothing more than a weapon! Do you know what I've been forced to do? Killing wasn't the only thing they used me for, do you care? I bet I could scar you for life if I ever told you what happened before they decided keeping me frozen was easier than letting me regain all my memories..." Tears started forming in his eyes as he released the man he thought had been his best friend, who now sported an angry purple handprint on his neck.

There was nothing he could say to ease his friend's pain. He never wanted to hurt Bucky, to have him learn about his own ties to the organization responsible for so much chaos in the world. The organization that was responsible for Bucky's arm, the trigger words that could control his every action, wipe his mind. "Buck..."

"Don't... Just don't..." he said, voice surprisingly strong through the tears. "Either say the words, and bring in the Asset like I know they want, redeem yourself, or let me go." Bucky turned to face Steve. "No tails, no trackers; I disappear and never have to see your traitorous face again. I should kill you right now, but I can't. You get to live this time if you choose to let me go, but just this once. If I see you again, I will kill you in a slow and horrible fashion."

"You know I would never use those words against you..."

"I don't know much of anything anymore when it comes to you. So choose. Let me be free without you or turn me back into the mindless, unfeeling machine and maybe they'll let you be my handler and maybe they’ll let you have time with my body outside of missions. This is the last favor I'll ever do for you; decide my fate and I won't stop you."

Steve was quiet for a few minutes, staring at Bucky's face so he could cement it in his memories. Eventually, he looked away from him. If this is what Bucky wanted, then so be it. "Leave."

Bucky walked toward the door. He stopped, with a hand on the knob. "I'm gonna miss the idealistic punk that I thought you were."

Steve looked over at him, wishing he didn't need to lose Bucky again. "You know me better than anyone. When we were children... when we grew... the army..." He risked taking a few steps closer. "Stark, Clint, Wanda, Natasha... None of them know me like you do."

Bucky smiled sadly. "Guess we finally found the end of the line."

Steve stopped just behind him. "It doesn't need to be."

"Say the words. It's the only way I'll stay."

"I can hide you from them."

"Can you hide me from you? I can't... I... " He sighed. "I can't deal with this shit. If you want me to stay, activate the Asset, if not..." He started to turn the handle. Part of him was disgusted with the blonde behind him, the rest was wishing Steve would say the damn words already so he could forget finding out about HYDRA and go back to having someone to believe in.

"Buck..." But there was a beep, down in his pocket. He ignored it, knowing what it was, and just stared at his dear friend again. "If you don't want me to find you... ask the others to help. But if  
find you..." His voice dropped to a whisper, "I will save you. Whether you want it or not."

"Accept the mission, Steve, your masters summon. Don't go through the trouble of saving me again if it comes to it. At least if they find me, I won't remember the pain of having my soul ripped in two," Bucky replied as he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, away from the last tie to his past that he had and into the future alone.

Steve’s gaze turned to the floor, unable to watch Bucky leave. What could he do? He heard the beep again, not wanting to look at the text. The person he cared for the most in the world had just left him, and nothing else could get his attention now.

As the beep sounded once more, Steve took the small black mission phone from his pocket and tossed it out the window, expecting it to smash once it hit the pavement below. After a moment he grabbed the keys for his motorcycle and went through the door, slamming it shut, and started on his way down the stairs.

 

* * *

 

Bucky made it down two flights of stairs before he had to sit down against one of the landing walls and compose himself. Why couldn't Steve just say the words that would have freed his mind and let them continue? Yes, it would've been a lie, but they could've been together. He felt like his chest was being crushed by a steel beam again and he wasn't sure he could move from the spot.  
He heard the pounding footsteps coming toward him, but he was still in the middle of his panic attack. Bucky forced himself to crawl farther down the hallway so he wasn't immediately visible from the stairwell, but could still see them and tried to quiet his gasping breath as he waited for whatever came.

Steve came down the stairs, not seeing Bucky as he went down the next flight. At the bottom, he pushed the door open, heading outside, ready to leave. He needed some time away after all this.

Bucky was relieved when Steve passed him without a glance. As much as it showed how distracted the blonde super soldier was, he didn't check the noise Bucky knew he had to have heard and knows was trained to check. He really wasn't in the best position to keep at it with Rogers right now. He needed to head for one of the Black Widow's bolt holes and try to figure out where he was headed.

 

* * *

 You can find us on tumblr!

[Lost and Found blog](http://lost-and-found-au.tumblr.com/)

[LadyDarkPhoenix](http://ladydarkphoenix-blog.tumblr.com/)

[Somiko_Raven](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learning that Steve was HYDRA all along was just the beginning of Bucky's messy life after gaining his freedom from the organization. Upon meeting two young women, he learns that maybe he had no idea what all had been done to him after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It may seem messy, but trust us, the story will smooth out.  
> This fic is a living and breathing thing that is worked on daily. Ships and tags may change so be sure to check.  
> This chapter once included Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, but his puppeteer was no longer able to participate, and to help the story flow better, he had to be edited out.  
> [Phone conversations]  
> {Text messages}

**Lost and Found Chapter 2**

\----

Bucky shakily rose to his feet after he heard Steve's motorcycle tear away. He took out his burner phone, dialed a familiar number for help and waited for someone to answer. It rang for what felt like ages before it was finally picked up. [You woke me up,] came Clint Barton’s tired voice.

"H.. help..." was all Bucky could manage.

[Woah... okay, what's going on? And where am I gonna find you?]

Bucky tried to take a deep breath to answer, "Steve's, but I need to move, but having some complications. Can't say more over insecure lines."

[Should I bring help?]

"I... I don't know, not sure who to trust..."

There was a pause before Clint asked him again, concern coloring his voice, [What the hell happened?]

"Can't say over insecure lines; don't know who's got ears. Just come get me please."

[Alright, alright. I'll be there soon, just gotta.. finish something up, I'm coming.]

"I owe ya one, Hawkeye. I'm gonna try to move. Can't guarantee I'm gonna make it too far, but I'm in a vulnerable position..." he said as he took a step toward the staircase; he added, "Call me back when you're close," before hanging up. Bucky had made it down to the lobby before the phone finally rang again, about twenty minutes later. "Where are you?"

[I’m a few blocks away, I think,] Clint told him.

"Okay... I'm in the lobby..."

[Alright.]

Bucky sighed and waited after he heard the line click dead. This was not how his day was supposed to go. Steve wasn’t supposed to be working for HYDRA. How could it possibly be true? He had seen the evidence with his own eyes though, even gotten confirmation from the man himself. He jerked upon hearing his phone ring again a few minutes later and snapped it with his metal hand in annoyance, staggering out the front door, looking for the archer. What he found was Clint sitting in a van he had seen before. Apparently he had seen Scott before stopping by. Bucky shook his head; how did this day get this bad this quick?

Clint opened the door and climbed out of the van, walking over to him. After taking a look at the man, he simply said, "Man, you look like shit."

Bucky just looked at Clint like he'd grown another head and grabbed his arm, trying not to fall. "Get me to the car, Barton."

"Right." He helped Bucky to the van, pulling open the side door for him. "Now what the hell is going on?"

The former assassin sank to the floor, grateful to be safe with a friend he knew he could trust. "Steve's HYDRA."

"What? Sure it wasn't a nightmare?"

"Think I'd be this much a mess and have called you over a damn nightmare? No, he told me after I'd done some digging on what was done to me and saw some mission reports of his..."

Clint shook his head, saying, "That doesn't sound like Cap." Looking around, he slid the side door shut and climbed back in the driver’s seat. "Can't be too careful, though. Where you wanna go?”

"Need one of Nat's off the book bolt holes…”

"Alright,” he replied, checking the area again before pulling back onto the street. After a couple of minutes of driving, he asked him, "How about you tell me what happened now, huh?"

Feeling much better after being picked up and now heading to a more secure area, Bucky explained how he was trying to piece together things about himself from old HYDRA files and figure out what his reprogramming was and what was him when he had noticed that there were mission reports from the same time that had Rogers’ name on them. He had kept digging until he found proof that it was Steve. Bucky took a deep breath and continued, "I asked him about it when I got back to the apartment. He confirmed it was true, and I gave him the choice of activating the Asset so we could be together, or letting me go and me killing him the next time I saw him."

Clint sighed, keeping his eyes on the road. "Sure we want one of Nat's places then? We don't know if she's in on it."

"I trust her, I trained her, I think I loved her..."

"Okay," he said, turning down another street. Bucky fell back into old habits and watched the cars out of the back windows. "Clint, do me a favor and turn in two blocks."

"Right." After a couple more blocks, he turned onto a small neighborhood street.

"The blue car back there; it came this way and has been weaving to keep close."

"Damn it. Alright... Um.. How fast can this thing go?" Clint wondered, not exactly sure on the condition of the van at high speeds.

"We're going to die," Bucky deadpanned as he started pulling guns out of their hiding places on his body.

"Buck, don't go crazy, alright?” Clint said as he turned down the next street. "Oh, man, where am I going..."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "You concentrate on getting us away from civilians; drive like you don't know he's there."

"I don't even know what direction... oh, hold on," the archer said as he made a sudden u-turn, starting to speed up. He passed the car in the other lane as Bucky took a pistol with a silencer and shot out a tire for good measure. "Think they'll still bother us?" he asked as he continued down the road.

"Don't know who they're with. Can't say but we need to get where we're goin' before their friends show up."

After a while, Clint turned onto the highway, keeping his eyes open. "Are we positive we can't trust Cap? I mean it doesn't make sense. He's been on our side all along, we fought with him to protect you from Stark, and now..."

Bucky sighed deeply, "Yeah, he protected me and fought for me and I am in his debt for that. But he betrayed me. You didn't see his face when I confronted him, it was his mother dying all over again..."

"But it doesn't --" Clint quieted as he heard loud popping coming from the engine, seeing smoke start sneaking out the hood. "Oh, shit..."

"And we're really dead now."

"We'll just have to hike it, I guess." He looked back at Bucky. "Can you find my stuff back there?"

"What, your case and quiver? That's all you brought. It's a good thing I'm paranoid."

"You can't be too choosy right now, Barnes."

He rolled his eyes. "There's a difference between choosy and dead and prepared and alive, birdbrain."

"Yeah, well, get my stuff out of the back. And don't bend or break my arrows, I only have so many." Bucky gathered up Clint's weapons, handing them over after the archer had climbed out and walked around to the side, pulling the door open. He watched him pull the quiver over his shoulder, and then a thought came to him. "No weird arrows... Please tell me there's no weird arrows?"

Clint paused for just a moment, looking at him. "Define weird."

"You know what I'm talking about; no fresh hells for the love of all that's good."

"Be glad I won't be aiming at you."

"Always... Let's get moving before we have to fight," Bucky said as he climbed out of the van. He was going to live.

"Woah, wait up," Clint said. "It's gonna take us a while to get there unless now you just want anywhere."

"We were fish in a barrel there, had to get your ass moving somehow. Now navigate and keep in mind, we don't have to stick to ground level."

"Yeah, just don't leap so far like the super soldier you are. I might break my neck trying. Or hey, maybe you can carry me when you go all superman, since I'm the one that knows where we're going."

Bucky scoffed, "You wouldn't be any heavier than the packs I carried in the war. Don't tempt me."

"Riiight." Clint marched off the highway, slowly figuring out their path. "Let's see, we want... this way.”

Bucky followed silently behind. This was not how he wanted the day to go... Not at all, but he had to keep going. HYDRA kept trying to take everything from him, and he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of giving up now. "So exactly how far are we from the safehouse?"

"Um," Clint said, hiking over some brush. He scratched his head. "For one of Nat's, kind of far."

"Any of yours closer? One that nobody aside from Natalia knows about?"

"Oh, yeah. Want one of those?"

"If it means I don't die with the last person I see being you, then yeah, it'd be nice to get somewhere out of sight."

"Alright, alright." Clint eventually got them off the highway and led him through town on foot to an old rundown place with a bar on the other side. "Here we are," he said, walking inside, the place a total mess, a few arrows sticking out of a wall, strips of paper hanging from the tips.

Bucky eyed the place wearily. "Geeze Barton, what do you do here? Kill flies?"

"That was target practice. They went a little deep though," Clint told him as he checked the cabinets, seeing something questionable inside. "I don't know what that is.... Ah." He pulled out the tub of coffee he was looking for. "We can make some now, make some later, doesn't matter. Hopefully the machine still works."

"Whatever," Bucky said, throwing himself onto the cot, exhausted.

"Actually..." Clint turned to Bucky. "Why not reach out to Natasha and have her spy on ol' Cap himself?"

Bucky rolled over. "Why would she do that?"

Clint shrugged, looking for some food. "Because you say he's part of HYDRA."

"The evidence is at Steve's place if you don't believe me. If she wants to recon on him, that's between you guys. I'm beat, wake me if the world ends," he said drifting off.

 

* * *

 

 

What happened?

Say the words? Did Bucky really expect him to?

The engine roared as he rode on, the sun shining on him. The radio played classic oldies that he ignored. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath, thinking back to Bucky, the questions, the confession. His thoughts were still with him as he stopped outside a bar, hearing a loud crowd inside. He shut off the motorcycle and went in.

Mia was nursing her second cheap beer of the night after her run in with an enhanced individual when she looked up and saw Captain fucking America walk into her dive. What in the world? "Cap?"

Hearing his title, he quickly looked over at the woman, bringing a finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet, not wanting everyone in the place to know he was there. She jerked her head at an empty booth, picking up her drink and heading over. Steve looked around before he followed her, standing by the booth.

"Sit down; I don't bite unless you ask," she told him. He watched her a moment more before quietly sitting across from her. Mia took a swig of her beer, still not exactly sure why the good captain was here of all places. "So, I'm Mia and you're Steve and we're just two friends having a drink until such time as you feel the need to say what brings ya to the neighborhood. Sound good?"

Steve hesitated a minute before saying, "Sure." He leaned back against the cushion, observing the other patrons, every now and then his eyes glancing back at Mia.

"You can relax; I'm Protectress as well. Order a beer and stop acting nervous. You'll attract all the wrong kinda attention. Besides, my eyes were always better than Clint's."

"You know Clint?" he asked, surprised to hear his name.

"Grew up with the imbecile; we were inseparable as kids, then we took different paths. He went on one I couldn't follow," she said, sadly smiling.

"Well," Steve told her, relaxing a little, "he and I are good friends."

"Happy to see he's turned his life around then. Haven't talked to him in... oh, probably fourteen years, but there's not many archers in the world with our skills."

"The only archers I know are Clint, and now you." Steve's eyes quickly moved around the place again before looking back at her.

Mia signaled the waitress to bring two more of what she was drinking. "There's our mentor as well and the few others he's trained, but most don't have the other special skills we have, not that he uses his anymore." She nodded thanks as the drinks appeared. "Not that this will help, but have a beer on me; it's cheap and tastes horrible but it's beer."

"Might as well," he muttered, taking a gulp of it.

Mia watched as her companion settled down a bit, but she was still curious. "What brings you down here anyway?"

His eyes went to the table as he answered, "A fight... with someone I care about..."

"Tell me about it. I might understand more than you think."

Steve chuckled a little as he kept his gaze low, speaking quietly, "Just... he learned something he shouldn't have."

"Why do you think I haven't talked to Clint all these years? I've been on the finding end myself, kinda regretting it now."

He slowly looked up at her, deciding to ask, "Is it better to know, or would you rather you never knew?"

"Knowing what I did destroyed us. I just couldn't be involved in robberies, killing for profit and when I found out, I had to let him go in order to keep my morals. It almost killed me on so many levels. But we both became heroes, so there's that silver lining I guess. But I don't know if I hadn't known if we'd merged family acts and had one of our own. I regret severing all contact," she replied taking a good long pull on her bottle after.

"Well... my relationship as it was hours ago... is destroyed too." Steve looked around the place, sighing, "But I could never do what he demanded of me... I've seen what it does to him... so I can't..." He took the bottle, drinking some more.

"But what do you think he wanted?" she gently asked as a loud drunk came over and started trying to hit on her.

“Hey cutie, you look like you're in need of a good fuck. Why don't you come with me and I'll have you screaming to god in no time,” the man stated, his focus clearly on Mia's slightly visible cleavage.

"Hey, leave her alone," Steve said to the stranger. The man wouldn't take no for an answer and tried to pull Mia out of the booth, which resulted in her contorting and placing a boot upside his head. His buddies saw this and came over to help subdue the intended conquest. "This looks bad..." she muttered.

Steve slid out, going up to them. "Gentlemen... I believe it's time for you all to leave."

"What, you can't share your piece of ass?" the first drunk asked.

"Are you boys sure you want to do this? Sure you want folks to see you lose?"

"I'm not coming quietly nor do I let others fight for me, so you boys are in a world of hurt if you decide to keep at this," Mia said as she followed Steve out of the booth, rolling her shoulders and cracking her knuckles.

"Last chance, guys. None of this is looking good for you. Believe me."

The drunks didn't take the hint and started swinging. Steve caught the fist of one, figuring Mia could handle herself, and flipped him onto his back; meanwhile, Mia was a whirlwind of movement. Between dodging punches from the drunk men and delivering deft blows that knocked the men out after a couple good hits, she was holding her own and watching Steve's back as well. "Behind you!" she called as one of the men picked up a bottle, broke the bottom off, and went at the super soldier. Steve quickly turned to him and ducked as the broken bottle came at him, rising up again and punching the man away, causing him to fly back and slide over a table, falling to the floor. The rest of the men scattered as the owner came out of the back with his shotgun to see who he had to shoot to restore peace. "What the hell’s goin’ on!?"

Steve watched them all run and glanced at Mia before temporarily giving his attention to the owner. "Nothing anymore."

"It's alright, they thought I was an easy lay and got angry when I turned ‘em down and my friend here had my back," she explained as Steve slid back into the booth, grabbing his bottle and having a drink. Mia smoothed the incident over with the owner (this wasn't the first time this had happened) and went to join him. "Sorry about that. It happens a lot with the guys here, but it's cheap and the owner likes me so it's alright."

"It happens a lot and they haven't learned?"

"They're drunks, not scholars. So anyway, back to our chat. What do you think your friend woulda wanted? I mean, really wanted?"

Steve lightly rolled the bottom of the bottle along the table, his eyes focusing on the rest of the beer as it swirled around inside. "Probably for me to go against my own morals and control him," he finally said.

"And could you be happy if he was content to live like that, or could you change for him? I know I would have been ecstatic if Clint had given up crime because he loved me... and now I'm thinking if I could go back, I might join him just to be with him. But that's the funny thing about looking back, isn't it?"

Steve was quiet, thinking things over. He sighed and brought the beer to his lips. "I don't know what I should do yet."

Mia slid closer to him, making it look like he was getting a bit of action as she whispered in his ear, "If you really love him that much, you'll figure it out."

"Yeah... and if you ever want to see Barton... I can get a hold of him."

She sighed, playing with the label on her beer. "He probably won't remember me. But I don't know..."

"I don't know what's going on in his head sometimes. He very well could remember you," Steve told her as he finished off his beer, setting the bottle on the table.

Mia had been looking down, chewing on her lower lip in thought when she suddenly looked up. "Well soldier, want to get out of here and go somewhere more comfortable?"

"Alright." He checked around a little. "Where did you have in mind?"

"My place?"

He stared at her, a little hesitant. "Alright...”

Mia smiled, getting out of the booth again and taking him by the hand to help him up. "Let's go, big boy," she stated as she hung on his arm, making it look like she had just picked him up so as not to raise suspicions. "My place isn't far. You have a vehicle or you want to walk?"

"I have a bike," he informed her as they stepped outside, leading her to it. "Where's your place?"

She gave him the address, which was only a couple blocks away. "Hey, mind if I ride with? I love bikes, just can't afford one."

"Sure, climb on," Steve said as he got on the motorcycle.

She gave an excited squee and vaulted on, wrapping her arms securely around his waist. "Ready when you are." He turned the key in the ignition and took off, heading to the address she had given him. It didn’t take him long to get there, slowing a little once he was on the street, reading the addresses on the buildings.

"Park in the alley there, it'll be safe. Hope you don't mind a walk up?"

"Don't mind at all," Steve told her, pulling into the alley and parking the bike. He took the key out of the ignition and slipped it into his pocket before climbing off.

"Stairs or fire escape?"

"Stairs are fine."

"Alright, 10th floor apartment D. I'll let you in," she said as she jumped up to the fire escape. "I don't use my keys when I go heroing, so I'll have to go in the window." He watched her go up before going inside, heading up the stairs, all the way to the tenth floor. He went over to apartment D and waited patiently, the door opening a few moments later to a decent sized loft with mismatched but comfortable looking furniture.

"Come on in, take a seat, want a drink? I have beer, coffee, water... and that's about it actually."

Steve stepped inside, his eyes checking the place out; it seemed like a rather cozy little apartment. "I'm fine," he said to her. "You don't mind my staying here for a while?"

She smiled as she made herself a pot of coffee. "Not at all, but there's only one bed which you can take. I'm good on a couch."

"That’s alright, I can use the couch instead." He went to the window, gazing outside. He wished he would see Bucky out there.

"So we're fighting over my lumpy couch because both of us have been used to sleeping rough."

"Well, it is your place."

"We could share."

He slowly turned to her, commenting, "I really don’t think that's wise."

Mia poured her coffee as she replied, "It was just a thought; know how carnies and soldiers kept warm.”

"Heh." He turned his back to her and watched outside again, wondering where Bucky was now.

"So, who's the lucky one?"

"You can have the bed."

"That wasn't what I was asking."

"Then what?" he asked her.

Sipping her coffee, she questioned him again, "Who's the lucky person that has you questioning your life?"

"My best friend," he answered. His personal cell, the one used for friends, started ringing just then, causing him to pull it out and look at it. "Barton?" He quickly flipped it open and answered, "Yeah, Clint?"

Mia froze. _Clint? No, couldn't be…_

Steve was quiet as he listened to him. "Well, that's... okay, I don't know what that is, but have you seen Bucky?"

"Bucky... Now it makes sense," she murmured, breaking out of her trance to listen in on Steve's conversation, partially hoping he'd offer her the phone, but partially scared he would.

"Haven't, huh? Alright..." He paused, peeking over at Mia. "By the way, I met someone from your past.... Well, don't you sound excited."

"Steven Rogers, don't you dare!" she hissed.

He offered the phone to her anyway. "Would you prefer wondering 'what if'?"

"Payback’s a bitch," she said, taking the phone. "Umm, hi."

[Heeeeey, umm....] came Clint's unsure voice.

"Not my idea, but glad to hear you came back from the darkside," Mia said, trembling.

After a pause. [Right, and you... sound good too.]

"So any ideas on my new roomie?"

[Okay, first, I'm sorry, but the name escapes me.]

She sighed, "Mia."

[Wooaah…] There was a minute of silence, but then Clint told her, [Okay, listen. Something's going on with Cap. His buddy says he found evidence that he's part of HYDRA.]

"That would be the missing intel for this brood fest here, what else?"

[And, how have you been?]

"That's a conversation for when we're not dealing with moody super soldiers that may or may not end in our horrible deaths."

[Right. Well, keep an eye on him. I'll tell sleeping beauty what I did when he wakes up and hopefully I won't end up in pieces on the floor.]

Mia blinked back the tears that threatened her eyes after hearing his voice again. "Clint..."

[Yeah?]

"My number is *******, call me sometime, I've missed you..."

[Will do.]

"Stay safe, I..."

[You... stay safe too. Does he have his gear?]

"No, but you know I'm good at taking care of reckless blondes with no sense of self preservation."

[Alright... I'll call you again... Maybe tonight.]

"Love you," she whispered.

After a moment of silence on his line, Clint told her, [I'll call you tonight; nothing about super soldiers, just...]

"Two old carnies catching up... Goodbye, Clint." Mia ended the call and clutched the phone.

Steve turned to her. "May I have my phone back?" he asked. She handed it over without a sound, visibly still trying to stop the overflow of emotions going through her. He watched her as he put the phone back in his pocket. "Kind of like someone coming back from the dead...?"

"Bastard," she said, "ambushing me like that."

"I gave you an opportunity to talk to him."

"Didn't say I wasn't grateful for it, but I'm doing you a favor. Well, more than one seeing as you don't have any gear if it comes to a fight."

"Why would it?" he questioned. "Did Barton say something..?"

She sighed in frustration. "You're a super soldier, I'm a vigilante; could someone with a grudge come looking for us? Think about it!"

"Then you shouldn't be shouting." He checked outside once more. "You were calm until you talked to him, though."

"I wasn't prepared, there's, urg, I'm going up to the loft. You know how to work a tv. If not, figure it out. Come up to do anything other than apologize or if I call for help, my armoury is there and so help me, I'll test how durable you are."

He faced her, a calm look on his face. "I apologize for handing you the phone without much warning."

"Good night," she said, going up to her bed to calm down and wait for Clint to call. As soon as she was safely in her bed, Mia allowed silent tears to fall. It had been so long, why did hearing his voice make her feel like she was seventeen again? Her phone rang a while later, as she tried to stop the thoughts in her head.

* * *

 

***

Thank you for reading chapter 2 part 1! The original chapter is about 60 pages so we decided to break it down some.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learning that Steve was HYDRA all along was just the beginning of Bucky's messy life after gaining his freedom from the organization. Upon meeting two young women, he learns that maybe he had no idea what all had been done to him after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It may seem messy, but trust us, the story will smooth out.  
> This fic is a living and breathing thing that is worked on daily. Ships and tags may change so be sure to check.  
> This chapter once included Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, but his puppeteer was no longer able to participate, and to help the story flow better, he had to be edited out.  
> [Phone conversations]  
> {Text messages}

**Lost and Found Chapter 3**

**\----**

[Hello..] Mia answered after a few rings, her voice sounding strained with tears.

Clint blinked his eyes as he heard her, carefully asking, "Okay, what did I do?"

[You left but that's not the... What happened?]

"What happened when?"

[Damn it, Clint, how much brain damage have you sustained falling off buildings?] she angrily questioned him. [I haven't heard from you since you went off on your big crime spree and left me and you don't even remember, do you?]

"Okay, look, the crime thing is ancient history now, alright? I'm an Avenger these days.. or was, or, whatever. Point being that I don't do that anymore," he explained to her.

[I know, I want to know why you left. Then we can discuss why the fate of the world somehow falls to us.]

"Well, that... uh..."

[Clint... why can't you tell me why they were more important than me?]

"Mia, look..." he sighed while he ran his fingers through his hair, "things happened, and..."

[You haven't changed. You're still the little boy my mother took into our caravan...]

"I kind of had to go," he said, quickly glancing to the doorway leading to where Bucky was resting, making sure he wasn’t there. "But I'm better now than I was. No longer a kid."

[Ummhmm, I'll believe it when I see it. Anyway, we should probably talk tall, dark and HYDRA.]

"Alright, what did you notice about him?" Clint asked, hovering a little by the doorway now.

[Besides the lovesick puppy thing?] Mia wondered.

"Lovesick puppy? Really."

[Kept saying friend, but the wishful way he keeps staring off into space says more, you know.]

"Yeah, well, his ex is probably ready to fight anyone that mentions the guy. Anyway, what can you tell besides that?"

[Remember how it was between us? When Barney got y'all mixed up in the bad?]

"Sure."

[It's just like that, only a thousand times worse.]

"Hm... Alright. Shit, I don't know what to do here. We're in a safe house, but... I don't feel very safe," Clint had to admit.

[Maybe it's time to pull up stakes and move to the next town,] Mia suggested to him. [It worked for Carson.]

"You try hiking around on foot with a moody old guy that can snap you in half." He shook his head, muttering to himself, "Man... Where's that pizza?"

[Tell him there's hope yet. He's struggling right now, but I think that he'll do the right thing in the end.]

"What is the right thing for him to do though? He can't just quit them if all this is true."

[Haven't you ever loved someone so much you'd salt the entire world if it meant you could be with them?]

"Yes... but they'll be after him. They won't stop."

[And neither will he.]

Clint watched the floor as he walked, not paying attention to Bucky as he passed him, saying, "I know that, but there's a chance none of us will see him again if he goes on the run; and if he tries fighting on his own, then what?"

[He's got me to help if necessary, and to stop him if things go south.]

"Okay..." He rubbed his face as he wondered if he was going to get a headache from all this super soldier drama. "Call if anything happens then. We'll get this figured out somehow."

[Will do.] There was a momentary pause before she added, [He's trying to sneak out so I'm gonna go tail him. And Clint, I never stopped loving you. Just so you know...] The call ended as he stared at his phone, wondering how the past was catching up to him.

 

* * *

 

It had been a while since Mia went upstairs. He could hear her talking to someone, but not what she was saying. With a sigh, Steve started to pace. What could he do? His own steps were the only things he could hear, drowning out whatever Mia was saying, his mind racing as he tried to think up a plan, or something, eventually stopping in his steps as he came to the obvious realization. The answer was Bucky, it always was. He examined his clothes; these weren’t going to do against a ticked off assassin with the serum pumping in his veins. He had to get home. Taking a glance at her staircase thinking it would be safe to leave without being noticed, he crept to the door, exiting the apartment. Even he could hear the noise it made, though, rolling his eyes as he chalked it up to him just not being the stealthy type compared to others.

Mia had hung up her phone and slipped it into her pocket before quickly checking the knives she kept on her body. She slipped on a Bluetooth earpiece, sliding back out her window to the fire escape in the alley where Steve's bike was still sitting riderless. She watched him wander over to it after a little more, noticing him stop to look up at the fire escape. Mia was pretty sure he couldn't see her and even if he had, what was he going to do to the only ally he had at the moment that wasn't HYDRA?

"If you're up there, and want to come along, fine," he called up to her, turning back to the bike and climbing on.

She smirked and came down the outside of the fire escape in no time flat, telling him, "Don't want anything to happen to you. It wouldn't look good for my street cred if I let Captain America get killed after offering him sanctuary."

"I don't intend to die to just anyone," Steve informed her as she mounted behind him and held on again, waiting to see where the night took them. Before turning the key, he asked, "How is he?"

"Who?"

"Bucky. You were talking with Barton, right...? He wouldn't just call out of the blue like that without a reason."

"You dumped me back into his life, we were catching up. Or wasn't that allowed?"

Steve still didn't turn the key. "Alright..."

"Honestly, we never talked about him, except for the fact any mention of you makes him flip out."

Steve finally started the bike, the engine roaring to life, and pulled out of the alley, riding down the street. "Where we headed?" he heard Mia yell over the sound.

"Home," he shouted back. The motorcycle’s headlight danced ahead in the dark, illuminating their way back to the apartment building Steve had built his life in, the one he was supposed to share with Bucky. He parked in an empty spot and looked up at their window as he shut off the engine.

"So we picking up supplies?" Mia asked, swinging her leg over the bike and dismounting.

"Just one thing." Steve got off the bike and walked into the building, heading upstairs. Mia followed him, curious as to how the iconic man lived. He opened the door to the apartment he called home, and it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary at all, a few photos of friends here and there. He disappeared into the bedroom as Mia looked around.

"This is nice," the woman remarked.

After a short while, Steve came back out wearing his suit, his shield on his back. "It _was_ nice..."

"Ahh, enough said. So what's the plan now, oh Captian my Captian?"

"Call Barton. Get him to hand the phone to Buck. Then you give me yours."

"You sure about that?"

"I'll tell him I'll give him what he wants," he quietly replied.

Mia nodded solemnly. "Okay... If you're sure."

"I'm sure..."

She hit the call button and waited for an answer, walking a safe distance away from Steve's enhanced hearing before she started her conversation, signalling to him she'd be right back. After a quick talk with Clint, she walked back and held out her phone, telling Steve, "I hope you know what you're doing..."

 

* * *

 

"So who was that?" Bucky asked, unsure of what the archer’s motives were.

 _Of course he’s awake now…_ "My old friend, an ex, ugh. Oh, and I guess Cap was trying to sneak out or something," Clint answered with a shake of his head, turning to Bucky. "He sounds as moody as you are."

Bucky suddenly deflated, sitting on the cot, hands over his face. "I'm not moody, I'm hurt. Damn near the last inch of the edge. I begged him to say the words..."

"And then what, Buck?"

"I just wanted him to say them..."

"You know how messed up you get, right?" Clint questioned. "Do you really want to go through that?"

"It would have been better than this. But... I did vow to kill him the next time I saw him so... there's that..."

"You're not gonna kill him."

"And this is something you know?" Bucky asked him.

"I know you're capable," the archer stated, kneeling in front of him, "but you won't. If faced with it, I doubt you'd do it. You hate killing. And this is Cap. At worst, you'll probably cripple him."

"I'd gladly kill HYDRA, or do you forget?"

"He's not just just HYDRA, he's Steve! The guy that saved your ass from Stark, or do you forget?" Clint frustratingly stomped over to the front door. "Now I'm gonna go out there and wait for my pizza," he informed him, opening the door and stomping out before slamming it shut. "Damn super humans."

"I know he saved me,” Bucky spoke aloud, in almost a whisper, “that's why I wanted him to make me forget..." He was alone for a few minutes more before Clint returned with some pizza. "Alright. Food's here."

The other man merely grunted and went to studying his hands intently, allowing his thoughts to wash over him.

"Eat, Barnes."

"I'm good..."

Clint stared at him a moment before dropping a piece onto Bucky's lap. "Eat."

"Make me," he replied flatly.

The archer stood in front of him, saying, "You want to play that game?"

"No game, you know..."

"You want me to make you eat, though?"

"I don't know..." As Clint watched him, about to just stuff the pizza in his mouth, Bucky whispered, more to himself, "What do I do..."

"Well first, you hold the pizza in your hand,” Clint explained. “Then you take a bite, like so." He then took a bite of some pizza right in front of him. Bucky rolled his eyes as he added, "Want me to go all mama bird on you instead?" While Bucky stayed silent, still interested in his hands, Clint took a new bite of pizza and tipped the other man’s head back, shoving the bite into his mouth and then quickly retreating. "I told you I would, I told you I would,” he stated, throwing his arms up. Bucky sputtered and spit out the bit of food, glaring at him as Clint peeked over from the next room. A few Russian swear words later and the super soldier was back to looking at his hands.

"Not even a chase…” Clint sighed, hearing his phone ring. He pulled it out, knowing exactly who it was as he answered, "Hey, Mia, I'm still in one piece."

[Walk away for a minute, we might have a situation.]

"Uh, sure," he said, stepping away from Bucky. "What's up?"

[Rogers says he's going to give Barnes what he wants.]

"Shit. No. No, that doesn't sound good."

[Tell me about it. He wants you to give Barnes your phone and yeah...]

"Damn... We don't really have much of an option, huh...?"

[How ya wanna play this, Hawkeye? How's your boy doing?]

"He doesn't want to chase mama bird for trying to feed him, how 'bout that?" he told her.

[You didn't,] she laughed. [That never went well for you. But I see what you’re saying. What is this thing he wants anyway?]

"For Cap to use the HYDRA mind control code words on him..."

[What?] Mia asked, struggling to keep her voice down.

"Yeah. But I still... he can't.. This isn't like him, Mia."

[So what do we now? I'm running out of stall time before he comes in range.]

Clint sighed. "I'll give Bucky the phone... you do the same for Steve. We see what happens."

[Alright, I guess...]

"Bye for now, Mia." He lowered the phone and walked back to Bucky. “Now, Buck, um..."

"What..."

"Someone wants to talk to you..."

"Who?"

“Why don't you find out...?" he said as he offered the phone to him.

Bucky took the phone and held it to his ear waiting. There was a sigh and then... [Bucky, are you there...?] He tensed upon hearing Steve’s voice, his breathing starting to come more heavily. [Bucky... if you're listening... I'll say them.]

"And then what?" he had to ask him.

[Make you forget. Like you wanted.]

"Just forget..."

[Just forget what you learned about me... But you'll have to come to me.]

"Where?"

[The park…]

"You're not lying. This is real..."

[Buck... I'll tell you the words... that you _need_ to hear.]

"I'm coming."

[Good…] As the call ended, Bucky quickly stood and started for the door, saying, “I gotta go.”

Clint followed him. "Buck, don't do it."

He whirled around. "I want to, Clint. Why can't I choose this? It's not fair!"

He punched Bucky with a swing of his arm. "Damn it, Bucky, can't you use your head for a minute?! If he's HYDRA and he has the code words ready, what could he do with you? You keep saying 'he's HYDRA, he's HYDRA’, but now he's just Steve, right? The moment he gives you what you want, you don't see him as HYDRA?"

"I never wanted to leave. I told him to take me back to HYDRA. As long as I was with him I didn't care!" Bucky yelled as he punched Clint back with his left.

The man flew onto his back, hitting the floor. "Ohhh...." He held his face. "Shi...." He rolled on the floor before looking up at him. "Buck… ow..."

"I'm leaving. Come with if you're not going to interfere. I hear you have someone waiting there for you too. If not, I will take you out and still leave. Your choice."

"Damn, Buck..." Clint mumbled.

"I'll give her your regards," he said, turning back towards the door.

He rubbed his head. "Shit, tell her I'll catch up... when I get up..."

Bucky nodded and left, ready for this nightmare to be over.

 

* * *

 

Steve handed the phone back to Mia. "Bucky's coming,” he stated, voice low.

"I'll be on the roof,” Mia told him. “Make sure nobody uninvited interrupts you."

"Sure..." He went outside, leaving the bike as he made a run for the park. Mia made it up to the roof and saw him leave; she knew he wouldn't be going anywhere until Bucky showed so a bit of respectful privacy was the least she could do while she figured out how to salvage the situation.

Upon arriving at the park, Steve pulled out his shield and waited. He didn't want to fight Bucky, but if it came to that, he needed to be prepared. He began to pace as the minutes ticked by, knowing he had made the right choice. Mia had been watching as Bucky made it, but she noticed another flash of silver from the other side of the park. "What in the world?" she wondered as she hit dial on her phone, trying to reach Clint. _This could be very bad…_

 

* * *

 

The groaning man held his head as the phone began to ring. "Ugh, damn..." He grabbed his phone and answered it. "Yeah... shit... damn... what...?"

[We may have an even worse situation here than just super soldier drama. I think an acquaintance of mine may be here and may kinda want to kill Bucky,] came Mia’s worried voice on the other line.

"Yeah, well... he can handle it,” Clint said, still in pain.

[No, you don't understand. He's her mission. She's like him.]

"What..."

[Long story, but I need back-up.]

"Yeah, well, I've got a hell of a headache... you ever get a metal fist to the face...? Damn..."

[Oh my god, Clint, your hard head should be fine. Take a cab, it's not far.]

"You ain't helping my head right now, Mia..."

[Never have, but fine; take care of your head. I'll talk to you if I survive.]

"I'm getting up, just hold on..."

[I'll do what I can.]

"Right... right..."

[Just get here.]

"I know, Mia..” Hearing the call end, Clint groaned, "Shiiiiit..." and dropped his phone. After a bit more he finally got to his feet, calling up Steve. "Man, this sucks."

 

* * *

 

Bucky ran like his life depended on it, and in no time he saw the little park and hoped Steve was there. He stopped at the entrance, eyes scanning the area for him.

Steve stopped and looked over, stepping a bit closer. "... Buck?"

"Steve!"

He headed closer to him, stopping a few feet away. Bucky stared, hoping that this was really going to happen. Steve took a step forward, speaking clearly for him. "Longing..." Bucky had to stop himself from running. He wanted this. Steve didn't continue the words though. He closed the gap between them and threw his shield to the ground, pulling the man into a hug. "W..w..what?" Bucky sputtered as he was suddenly embraced. Steve didn't let go. He just kept holding onto him, holding him close. "Steve?"

"Just a little bit longer," he whispered.

"Why?"

Mia disconnected the call and kept an eye on the park, seeing Steve and Bucky hugging, but she was more worried about where the other silver thing was.

"I love you, you idiot..." After a few more minutes Steve let go.

Bucky just stared. "Now you tell me...? Now?"

"Bucky, I... I can't say the code for you. I just wanted to see you again.”

"So now what? I love you too, you jerk, but I don't want to be back with HYDRA."

"Bucky... I wanted to tell you to go on the run. Don't let any of us know where you are. Don't tell anyone else what you know about me." He looked along the rooftops, unable to see Mia. "Barton's friend is up there somewhere. Try to get out of sight."

"I don't want to... Not without you... I'd rather go back."

Steve looked at him. "Either get out of here... or I make you forget me completely."

"Do it, it's the only way you'll get me to leave."

"Damn it, Buck, don't force me --" He stopped as a gunshot rang out in the distance.

Mia heard the shot and searched the park for the flash that would tell where she should go. "Shit, here we go."

"You told me it didn't have to be the end of the line, so deal with it," Bucky spat as he looked for the shooter.

Steve grabbed his shield. "Fine..." He tensed when he heard his phone, grabbing it. "What? Barton?" He looked at Bucky as he listened. "They're after you, Buck."

Bucky blinked in surprise. "Who's after me now?"

Mia came running up to them, turning to the ex-assassin as she came to a stop. "Bucky, you might want to run."

"Mia, what's going on?" Steve inquired, eyes scanning for threats.

"Saw two silver arms in the park, so not good," she rushed, watching the area, making sure the attacker wasn’t there yet.

"Wait, what??" he asked, not sure he heard her right.

"You'll find out when your boy toy's dead if we don't get moving now!" Mia replied, grabbing Bucky to try and get him moving.

Bucky resisted. "What do you mean two silver arms?"

"I mean there's a woman with a mission, now move or I'll let them have you."

"Bucky, you should probably go," Steve agreed with her.

"I'm not afraid of some wanna be killer," he said defiantly as he pulled a gun and got ready for a fight.

Mia sighed, resigned to her fate. "Anyone got an extra gun... I brought knives to a gunfight apparently..."

Steve looked around the park, not seeing anyone. "I don't even have knives, just a shield. Don't even know what we're looking for."

"Basically... younger, prettier, deadlier, lady Bucky..."

"Lady Bucky..."

"Dark and deadly with a cyberarm; worked with her once," Mia explained.

Steve lowered his shield after more time waiting for an attack. "Too quiet."

"Maybe we got lucky?" she whispered, eyes still searching and coming up with nothing which worried her and made her wish for Clint.

"Which direction did that shot come from?"

"West side of the park," she replied. "Saw the shots."

"Should we go looking for her then?"

"One should look, one should guard the target," Mia said as Bucky handed her a gun and clips while they had time.

"I can guard Buck. Mia, you know who she is."

"I had one long job with her. Not besties."

"Still. You..." He quickly moved his shield in front of Bucky just before the bullets hit, hearing them bounce off the shield.

"Winter!" Mia yelled as she ducked behind the soldiers.

Keeping his shield up, Steve moved in front of the two to guard. "Any ideas...?"

"If she's on a mission... Bucky, is there any way?" Mia asked.

The man poked his gun around Steve and his shield. "Depends on how she was programmed."

Steve peeked above the edge of the shield, trying to see her, but quickly ducked down again, more bullets bouncing off.

"Winter, it's Protectress. Talk to me!" Mia desperately yelled, cursing Clint for not showing up as she and Bucky shot back at the flashes of light from the far gun.

The attack halted, and a few minutes later the woman was within sight, stopping a short distance away, her gun aimed at Bucky, but she did not fire. "Protectress..."

"Thought you were back in the motherland?"

"Not anymore."

Steve stared at the new woman, whispering to Bucky, "She does look like you... A lady Bucky..."

"Kinda weird..." he murmured, not taking his eyes off her.

"Obviously, so you want to tell me why you're shooting at my friends?" Mia cautiously continued.

The woman stepped closer. "You and blondie are in the way."

"What's your mission?"

"Killing Barnes."

"That's not what you told me. Specifically, what is your mission?" Mia barked, marking a kill shot just in case.

She held her aim, the light reflecting off the plates of her arm.

"Well?" Mia prodded.

"Righting their wrongs..." the young woman quietly answered.

"Where in that does it say you have to kill him before you see what he's become?"

Bucky could only stare at the spitting image of himself. Who was this girl? Eventually she lowered her weapon, staring back at him.

Steve lowered his shield a little. "Who are you?"

"And why did Mia call you Winter?" Bucky asked, still amazed.

She watched them both as she answered, "I’m Stefania Barnes... Winter's End."

Bucky choked, "Barnes?"

"That’s right..."

"How..."

Mia spoke up, "Maybe we could take this somewhere private? Steve?"

Steve put the shield on his back. "Your place or mine?"

"Yours is closer," she pointed out.

"Alright... Buck, you okay..?"

"It's been a hell of a day," he answered, still wondering how the metal armed woman could possibly be his relation. Stefania kept watching him, the gun still in her hand.

"Let's get moving before any more people try to kill us," Mia said, walking over to her. "Don't kill him yet. Talk to him and then if you think he needs to die, I'll help you. Deal?"

She looked at Mia and finally put her weapon away. "Alright... And blondie?"

"Jury's still out on him right now, he's... Well I might have a bullet with his name on it depending on what happens."

Steve shook his head. "I'm not going to harm you guys. If I ever did do something, Bucky would kill me first."

Stefania's hand rested on her gun. "Not yet, Protectress?"

"That's not why, Cap," Mia said, ushering the other woman towards the apartment building.

"What did you do, Steve?" Bucky looked at him in wonder.

Steve turned back to him. "I don't..." He looked over at Mia. "... Barton?"

"No, not for that. You know what you've done."

Steve looked at Bucky and shrugged, following the two women. "So... any idea who she is, Buck? Looks like you, same last name..."

Bucky was at a loss as he watched the women make their way to his home. "I don't know. Honestly, she even has a name I would have picked out if I would have had to name a child..."

"Guess we'll find out..."

Stefania watched the two men curiously for a moment, looking forward again as she walked beside Mia. "He really doesn’t seem like a Winter Soldier."

Mia glanced back at the men as well. "It's complicated. He was the first, the prototype. He was the one the others were based off of. There are bugs they didn't foresee."

"He seems like a confused puppy."

"It's Steve's fault. Well, that and you."

"Where are we going anyway?" Stefania asked, seeing the apartment building.

"Their apartment, to talk," Mia answered.

"We're leading the way to their apartment?"

"They're idiots today, what can I say?"

Steve looked at Bucky as they walked. "Doing alright?"

"Been better..."

He put a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "We'll get all this figured out."

"All of it? I can't lose you again..."

"You won't."

"Are you coming or am I breaking and entering?" Mia called back, almost to the building.

Steve hurried up to the front, leading everyone up to the apartment that he and Bucky shared. Mia made Stefania and Bucky sit while she and Steve went to make coffee.

"So, what's going on between you and Barnes?" Mia asked him.

Steve pulled out a few cups from the cupboard. "I think he's forgiven me."

"And? What are you going to do with your job?"

"You don't mean as Captain, do you...?" he quietly asked.

"’Captain What’ is the question. He needs America, but will go HYDRA if you ask him to. Just keep that in mind, huh?" she gently said, pouring coffee and taking two cups of black for her and Stefania.

"HYDRA will never get him again. That's something I wouldn't mind dying for," he stated as he prepared Bucky's coffee the way he liked.

"You have allies, just remember that. Now let's go figure out what the hell this is," Mia said, looking at the staring contest going on between the metal armed people in the living room.

"You mean you don't know?"

"No, it was a mission, not a slumber party. She knows me as Protectress and I knew her as Winter's End. I only found out about her primary mission because we had been stuck on a long recon and got bored."

"I see." He carried the coffee out for Bucky, offering it to him. "You two are quiet."

"Yeah, because they're usually such chatterboxes," Mia said, handing a cup to the other woman before settling down on a chair where she could see all participants and exits.

Stefania set the cup down, never letting Bucky out of her sight. "You want to know why I have the name 'Barnes', don't you?"

"I want to know why you look like me," Bucky replied.

She locked eyes with him. "Because you’re my father."

"What!?" Bucky exclaimed. "I don't remember that ever happening..."

"Well, technically, your DNA helped to create me."

"Still, you'd think I'd remember..." he replied, disturbed.

Steve looked over at Mia. "Should we let them talk alone?"

"Do you trust them to be alone?" Mia said with a raised eyebrow.

"I trust Bucky," he stated.

"The way they had to harvest the materials would be memorable..." Bucky murmured, still shocked at the revelation.

"And the crazy lady that just tried to kill him?" Mia asked, getting a look from Stefania. "Sweetie, you're not balanced and you know it."

"I won't kill the puppy," she told her.

Mia snorted. "Good enough for me, lead the way, Cap."

Steve went with her back to the kitchen. "If they start fighting, we go back in."

"Of course, I'm not stupid. Still have Bucky's gun if it comes to it," Mia replied, patting her pocket.

Stefania's attention returned to Bucky.

He stared back at her. "What?"

She picked up the cup of coffee, replying, "You're the only half I know."

"They never told you who your mother was?"

"No," she answered as she sipped the coffee, making a face.

"And who exactly created you, and why?"

"Why should I go that far?"

"I'm just curious, I guess. Never mind," Bucky said, taking his cup and sipping the overly sweetened brew.

"They're a resistance group," she stated, setting the cup down.

"And they sent you to destroy me?"

"The program... You were part of the program… You've become a soft, confused little puppy."

"I'm not a puppy. I've just found things to live for."

"Like blondie."

"You give such strange names, but yeah," he replied with a smile.

In the kitchen, Mia jerked like someone shot her. "I should call Clint, tell him to take care of his concussion before rushing over!"

Steve blinked at her sudden action. "Concussion?"

Mia quickly called Clint and explained the situation before answering, “Bucky coldcocked him with a left handed punch to his head.”

Stefania looked over toward the kitchen. "They’re loud."

"I've never met the woman before tonight," Bucky responded.

"She's kind of an odd one," Stefania said.

"I'm getting that."

She turned to him again. "If you were still the Winter Soldier, you wouldn't be sitting there right now."

Bucky sighed. "I use the name but after my memories started coming back, I couldn't be the asset anymore. I'm James Buchanan Barnes, the guy that saved the scrawny punk in the kitchen from getting killed and went to war because he wanted to protect those he loved."

"Mhm..." She stood up and walked around. "So I don't need to kill you."

"That's up to you. If you were trained anything like I was, you won't stop until your mission is complete."

She turned to him saying, "I won't kill you... but why does Protectress want to kill your Captain in there? What’s he hiding?"

"Some horrible life choices that hurt me," he sadly answered.

"Like what?"

"Why you interested, little girl?" he questioned.

"Little girl?"

"Technically I'm old enough to be your great grandfather, you're a little girl to me."

"What’s blondie's secret, father?"

"It's not mine to tell."

She turned and looked around the place. "Worth a bullet from Protectress, though. Not sure why she'd want to kill Captain America. Kind of weird, isn't it?"

"It's complicated..."

"Oh father, if I really wanted to know, I’d find your trigger words..."

"Why are you calling me father?"

"Because you are. I never had anyone else to call that until now," she told him as she looked at some of the photos.

"And as far as my trigger words..." He shuddered, thinking about what could have happened.

"I don't know them."

"No..."

"Hm...?" She turned to him.

"Nothing."

Steve looked in. "Everything okay?"

Stefania picked up a picture frame. "Everything is fine, blondie daddy."

Steve gave Bucky a look. "Uh..."

"What fresh hell have I fallen into now?" Bucky muttered to himself.

Mia popped her head around Steve. "Blondie daddy?"

Steve shook his head. "I have no idea."

Stef set the picture frame down, saying, "Well, they're dating, right? He's the one that got Barnes to be... not the Winter Soldier." She paused as she turned to face them. "So I have no reason to really be here."

"Unless you want to get to know your daddies," Mia giggled.

"One question, what happened to your arm?” Bucky asked, not sure how the answer would play out. “It wasn't genetic, I know that."

She stared at him before answering, "It was to face you on more equal footing."

"What does that mean?"

"It means to fight you. I almost had a clear shot though.... and then you're not even that anymore."

"I know that; I got mine after falling from a train that should have killed me, but instead just took my arm off..." He looked at Steve, not sure if he already knew about when his arm had been lost, but Steve had looked away as Bucky spoke.

Stef hesitated a moment. "Mine was planned, not injury. Once I stopped growing. It was all done with stopping you in mind."

"You let them cut your arm off?"

"It needed to be done," she answered, her expression losing its calmness for only a moment.

"You Barnes people are insane, that much is genetic," Mia said with a shake of her head. "Want my number, Winter? Just in case…”

"I guess..."

"Can we get a pen and paper please?" Mia asked the owners of the apartment.

Bucky got up and walked over to a desk, scribbling something on the paper before handing it with the blank side up to Mia, who added her number to the page before handing it to Stefania, who flipped the paper to see what Bucky had scribbled.

Steve watched them, wondering about something. "I have a question before you leave... Are you the only one?"

"I can't answer that," Stefania told him.

"You don't know what else they did do you?" Bucky wondered, knowing how that song and dance went all too well.

"I know what I was told," she replied, turning to the door and stepping out. "I'll be back in a few days," she told them all as she disappeared down the hall.

"Well, that wasn't at all how I expected this to end. Kinda expected to die a few times over, though I'll get over that disappointment," Mia quipped.

Steve shrugged his shoulders as he pointed out, "Well, that almost happened..."

"Yeah, look, as fun as this has been, I put my number in Steve's phone so if y'all are done, I'm gonna go home and hit the sack," the woman said, making her way to the door herself.

"Sure. Thank you for stopping your friend earlier."

"She woulda taken all of us out. I wasn't entirely sure it'd work and I didn't want today to be the day I kicked it."

"Well, thank you again. I would offer you a ride back to your place, but.. I think I'm needed here," he told her, glancing over at Bucky.

"Figured I'd have to take a taxi home. You do what you need to. Don't be like Clint and me, be smart."

"Check his head when you see him."

"If I see him. You make sure to take care of your man's head as well. His is a worse kind of broken."

"I will."

"You'd better, I wasn't kidding when I said I had a bullet with your name on it if things go south," Mia warned. "Goodnight, Bucky!" she called as she walked out the door.

Steve let out a breath and closed the door after her, turning to Bucky. "How are you feeling now?"

"Confused..."

"I'm sure," he said as he sat in a chair across from him. "A lot happened today..."

"Where do we go from here, Steve?"

"Well... right now, you should get some rest."

"Come with me."

"Alright. Let me just clean up first," Steve said as he gathered up the cups.

"I'll wait here," said Bucky, settling deeper into the couch.

"Did you give her your number?"

"Mmm, kind of."

"Kind of?" he asked while walking into the kitchen, rinsing the cups out in the sink.

"Yeah."

Once the cups were clean enough, Steve walked back out, folding his arms. "What do you mean, kind of?"

"It's nothing," Bucky replied with a yawn.

"Alright." Steve walked over to him, offering him a hand, which Bucky reached up and gripped, accidentally pulling the other man down on top of him. Steve paused as he landed on Bucky. "Um," he said, "you were supposed to get up, not pull me down, Buck..." He hesitantly looked at Bucky's face, but he just gave Steve a look. Slowly getting off of him, Steve said, "Now come on. Time for bed. You had a long day."

"We both have. Come on, punk," Bucky said as he stood and started taking off his shoes.

Steve watched him a little more before heading to the bedroom, finally getting out of the Cap uniform, pushing the shield under the bed. Bucky followed shortly, pulling off his street clothes and getting into pajama bottoms and climbing into the bed. Steve sat beside him. "You know... I'm glad I didn't say them."

"Jury's still out, Steve; we'll talk about it more in the mornin’."

"Right, agreed." He slid under the covers and got comfortable, closing his eyes. After a moment, his hand found one of Bucky's and held it. The other man then rolled over and threw his left arm across Steve's chest. "Heh.. Goodnight, Buck."

"Ud nt," was the muffled reply as sleep took him.

 

* * *

 ***

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	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learning that Steve was HYDRA all along was just the beginning of Bucky's messy life after gaining his freedom from the organization. Upon meeting two young women, he learns that maybe he had no idea what all had been done to him after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It may seem messy, but trust us, the story will smooth out.  
> This fic is a living and breathing thing that is worked on daily. Ships and tags may change so be sure to check.
> 
> [Phone conversations]  
> {Text messages}

**Lost and Found Chapter 4**

**\----**

 

They slept through the night, Steve needing to gently push the metal arm off of him in the morning. He quietly grabbed a pair of sweats and pulled them on, stretching a little before heading out to the living room, peeking out the window to make sure they didn't have visitors, and then making his way to the kitchen, getting coffee started while he checked the fridge for something they could eat.

When Bucky woke, it was to an empty bed and the smell of coffee. It was almost normal if they had been back before the war. But there was still the talk to have, so as much as he didn't want to, he got up and headed to the kitchen. Steve was already sitting at the table by the time he got there, an ignored cup of coffee sitting beside him as he looked through the paper; it was like he didn't even notice Bucky was there.

Bucky simply stood in the doorway, trying to commit the scene to memory just in case something happened. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Steve dropped the paper closer to him, saying, "Look through the apartments. Let me know if there's one you like."

Bucky was shocked, but sat at the table. "Why?"

"We're gonna need to move, preferably in the next couple days."

"So you've decided what you're doing then."

"They haven't heard from me and might start getting restless," Steve explained as he stood up and got a cup out for the other man, pouring some coffee for him and handing it over.

Taking the cup, Bucky sipped the scalding liquid, glad for the burning on his tongue so he didn't have to let the emotions he was feeling take him away. "Should we relocate out of country?"

"No, we don't have to go that far. Besides, we don't want to abandon the people we actually like."

"It'd be safer to travel for a while. Stay under the radar, like Banner," Bucky pointed out.

Steve glanced over at him for a moment before checking outside like he had earlier that morning. "Maybe... but leaving the country feels too..."

"Who are you looking for? And feels too what?"

"Just wondering if anyone else unexpected is going to show up. And leaving the country feels too cowardly." Turning to face Bucky, he added, "What I want is to get you someplace safe, and I would prefer that you don't follow when I go to face them."

"Like hell that's going to happen... You know you've got a small, and scary army assembled, and I'm not talking Avengers.."

"You and the girls? The Avengers are probably wondering if they need to take me in or not. They all probably know by now."

"Well I was thinking more along the lines of having two archers and two metal limbed assassins. You know Clint's going to want in too."

"Heh..." Steve smiled a little at that. Bucky was right, though, Clint would definitely join in if given the chance. "So how hard did you hit him?"

"He might have learned flight."

His smile grew a little more, lightly laughing, "Wow..."

"He punched me first..." Bucky muttered, sipping his coffee again.

Steve walked over and sat beside him at the table. "I'm sure he's learned to never do it again."

"Also mama bird... Deserved it..."

"Mama bird?"

Bucky hid his face in his hands on the table with a groan. "You really don't want to know... Barton's a freak..."

"Oh, now I have to know," Steve said as he leaned closer; Bucky lifted his head from his hands and, deciding to go for it, moved his head to the side, catching Steve's lips in a soft kiss which resulted in more laughter from him when their lips met. The good Captain pulled away after a few moments, asking, "So was that what he did, or what you want?"

"Yes?" Bucky answered, sounding unsure himself.

Steve gave him another quick kiss and grabbed the paper again. "Any you like?"

"Anything in a friendly neighborhood?" the other asked, a light red coloring his cheeks. "Wouldn't mind allies around."

"We'll have to check into that. Maybe even look for a place with an extra room if Stef ever wants to stay over."

"Yeah, just the perfect super family, huh?"

"Yeah..." Steve lowered the paper some, thinking aloud, "Hopefully we can trust her."

"I don't know. Not sure what resistance she was part of..."

"Whoever had your DNA... maybe still has," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "There might be more kids of yours out there, we don't know."

"It's still kinda disturbing..." Bucky muttered, wrapping his arms around himself.

Steve reached over and put a hand on his shoulder, wanting to give him some comfort. "Hungry?"

"No, but you're going to feed me anyway, aren't you?” Bucky replied, his mind drifting to what other violations of his person could come to light in the future.

"I'm not going to force you to eat."

"Yes you are. Haven't really eaten in a couple days; it's why Barton did what he did."

"Mama bird...." He stared at Bucky after realizing it. "Did he seriously..." Bucky shot him an 'are you dumb' look. "Wow..."

There was a tapping at their door just a second later.

"I was in a bad place, he tried to help," Bucky said as he shrugged, going back to his coffee.

"I can't believe he actually did it. Maybe you punched because it was _him_?" Steve asked as he went to the door, pulling it open. After a moment, he called out to Bucky, "Your daughter's back.”

"Fine; and nah, I punched him cause he tried to stop me from coming to the park with a punch to the face," he stated, wondering what the unexpected spawn wanted now.

Stef walked into the kitchen and looked down at him, wearing more casual clothing today. "You shouldn't be punching anyone."

"Like you can talk, little miss trigger happy."

She went and sat opposite him at the table as Steve came back in. "Not a proper introduction, no," she said, "but I was expecting something a little more than a puppy. I had to get you before you got me."

Bucky glowered at his daughter. "Just because I'm not the asset anymore doesn't mean I'm not still dangerous."

"I know. Why do you think I came back?"

"He won't go back to that life," Steve informed her, but Stef just smiled.

"You have a mission, don't you?" Bucky inquired.

"Mission, mission, that's all you want to talk about,” the young woman sighed.

"If you're anything like me, it's why I'd keep hanging around."

"Maybe I'm interested in more than your dark past," she suggested.

Bucky raised an eyebrow. "Alright, so you're just hanging out then?"

"For now." She held her hands up. "Even unarmed."

"You're never unarmed..."

Stef grinned at him while answering, "True. I have to admit, I've been thankful for it more than enough times."

"Me too, actually."

"I believe it."

"Are you hungry?" Steve asked her.

"A little, what do you guys have?" Stef wondered.

"I have no idea nor care," said Bucky.

"Maybe blondie daddy should call mama bird," Stef said with a grin.

"Would you stop with the stupid nicknames already?" the ex assassin said, getting annoyed.

"Oh, but it's so much fun annoying you."

Bucky shook his head and finished his coffee, getting up to get a refill while Steve walked out of the kitchen to get properly dressed. Putting her boots up on the table, Stef commented, "It's so weird seeing you so normal. After all those videos..."

He pushed her feet off the table. "Be civilized."

"Sure," she said. "How about a quick game?"

"Of what?"

"Arm wrestling."

He had to smile, welcoming the challenge. "Left or right?"

"Left, of course."

"Let's go, little girl," he said propping his arm on the table.

She gripped his hand, setting her elbow on the table. "Do the countdown, old geezer."

"One, two, three," he said, arm whirring in preparation.

"Go," Stef finished, trying with all the power in her arm to take him down. She noticed he didn't budge much at first, so she tried harder. Bucky laughed as he saw her working so hard, and his arm had locked as he was calculating her strength. Steve stepped into the doorway, finally looking presentable, and he stared at the two. "What are you guys doing...?"

It was at that point Bucky gave a savage grin and moved his arm, the force slamming Stef's down, splintering the table and throwing them off their chairs in the process.

"Shit, you're strong!" she exclaimed.

"Told you I was dangerous,” Bucky laughed.

Steve sighed as he looked down at them, folding his arms over his chest. "Maybe you two can go to the store and get us a new table then."

"Less to move," Bucky simply stated.

Stef sat up and looked at him. "Do you guys have a place in mind yet?"

“We can't even decide on what country," he replied with a grin.

"We're not leaving the country," Steve reminded him.

"Says you; show of hands of people that have escaped HYDRA before," he said, throwing a hand in the air.

"You don't have to go that far," Stef said. "You could stay with me. Besides, I don't want you taking off just yet, danger pup."

"And where are you living, little girl?"

"A cold and lonely abandoned little warehouse."

"I'd rather ask Barton..."

"I'm kidding. You guys should at least check it out. Nice neighborhood, like you wanted."

"We need somewhere high security and low civilians," Bucky said as he stood, snatching up his fresh cup of coffee and taking a sip.

"Or a place where no one's gonna rat you out."

"We're kinda hard to hide as a pair."

"I don't exactly look normal myself. Don't worry, I live in a cool area." She flexed the fingers of her metal arm. "I just had to teach them to be nice."

"Steve?" Bucky asked, not sure.

Steve shrugged a little. "We can look."

"Let me get dressed," Bucky said with a sigh.

Stef got off the floor and casually sat on the kitchen counter as she watched him start to leave the room, making the comment to him, "Maybe your Captain can help."

"I'll never get dressed if he's involved," he tossed over his shoulder, knowing at least one of the others would turn a pretty shade of red.

Steve hid his face in his hand. "Just get dressed, Buck."

"Success!" he shouted, going into the bedroom. He was quickly dressed and started on his way back but he paused when he heard the two conversing about him.

Stef giggled at his joy. "You guys are so funny. Hard to believe the man in the videos is the same guy."

Looking at her over his fingers, Steve told her, "They kind of are... kind of not." His face was still a little pink as he lowered his hand to his side. "The whole Winter Soldier... it's become a part of him,” he explained. “It'll always be there. But he's still Bucky, and he's controlled it. I just wish he wouldn't demand to go back to that because of something I do, or did."

Stef smiled, thinking that perhaps change was possible after all. "I'm glad he's so strong then. I wouldn't want to kill him if it's unnecessary."

Steve gave a smile of his own. "If you ever tried to kill him, I'd have to stop you."

Bucky quietly snickered.

Hopping off the counter, Stef went on. "Well, Captain HYDRA; and yes, I know about you; you can try to stop me, but you might not want to. Just like how I wouldn't want to kill him. Problem is if it becomes necessary."

"If it's necessary, then you all have my blessing to kill me in cold blood," Bucky said as he returned to the kitchen.

Steve looked at him, relieved he was finally back. "I won't allow anyone to kill you."

"If necessary, I said."

"Killing you will never be necessary."

Bucky moved over and kissed Steve on the cheek. "We'll see, but let's go check out where the little girl would like us to relocate, hmm?"

Stef’s lips turned up as she looked at them both. "Great! Plenty of room in my apartment, my new roommate never showed up." She headed to their front door, adding, “And make sure iron head doesn't show up, he sometimes sees my arm and thinks I'm father so I gotta disappear quick. He never got a good look to know the difference."

"Wait, what roommate? And when were you close enough to Stark for him to see you?" Bucky questioned as they followed her out into the hall.

"There was a party at the park and he needed to be the center of it." She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans while they went down the stairs. "He only saw the flash of the metal and automatically thought it was you. It was easy to disappear from his sight since he wasn't looking for a woman. And as for the roommate, I don't know. They just never showed up."

"Steve... why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Bucky asked as Steve held his hand.

Stef rolled her eyes. "I didn't do anything to the roommate I never saw."

"Didn't say you did..."

"You're getting all paranoid," she said.

"And it saved me from dying yesterday."

"You're not going to die," she exclaimed as they made it outside. Their conversation ended for the time being, the young woman eventually leading them up to a normal looking apartment building, a few of the inhabitants waving at Stef as she passed, wondering who the gentlemen were while they talked amongst themselves.

Whistling, Bucky commented, "You made friends with the neighbors?"

"Why not?" Stef answered him as she started taking them upstairs once they were inside. "Comes in handy."

"Things have changed I guess," Bucky said, looking around.

Once they were on the right floor, she led them to her apartment and opened the door, walking inside and leaving the door open for the two men. She had typical furniture, and some random items that didn't seem to make sense, just scattered about, no organization. Sticking up on the other side of the couch seemed to be a somewhat familiar looking bow, cracked in the middle.

"Alright... Interesting decorating..." her father remarked while he looked around, eyes slowly falling on the bow.

Stef shrugged as she sat on her couch. "I like trophies."

"I don't wanna know..."

"No, maybe you don't. I need something to do during my off-time."

Steve picked up the bow. "And this one?"

She grinned as she answered, "Yeah, he was fun."

"He who?"

"Yappy Hawk. He showed up when I was after a target."

Bucky's eyes got wide. "You and... Oh, I so don't want to know..."

"Sounds like you think I slept with the guy."

"I'm not thinking anything, not about psycho girls and trainwreck teammates, nope.."

"We fought. He yapped. I broke his bow and he looked like such a sad little bird, I couldn't strike him."

Steve set the bow back down to check other things out.

"You're soft for a trained killer," Bucky noted, still trying to figure her out and what game she was playing.

"I'm not on base," Stef explained.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I need to be a certain way around them. I like the freedom of living out here."

"Some of your trophies have blood," Steve observed, looking at the various objects.

"You ever think about leaving?" Bucky questioned her, knowing that way of life and hoping hers wasn't as bad as his.

"Leaving what, exactly?" she asked.

"Your group."

"Maybe, one day. I don't know." She put her boots up on the coffee table in front of her. "I sometimes think about it, but you know we can't exactly get lives that are normal."

"Yeah, but you can find one you can live with," Bucky replied, looking lovingly at Steve.

"Oh, I don't need something like that. I'd end up breaking them when pissed. Besides, the guys in the building know to leave me alone."

"I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about finding something that's you and not wanting to let it go, so you leave the life you're comfortable with to have the life you want."

She held her hands on her lap, fingers beginning to fidget as she thought about what he was saying to her. "Maybe. Meeting you has certainly made me think things over. If the one that started it all is changed, then what about..."

"Widows can change too."

Stef gave a little sigh, "Sure. Now what do you think of the place?"

Bucky wandered around, taking in the feel of the place. It wasn't horrible, but he wasn't quite sure he wanted to cohabitate with his daughter so soon after meeting her. He sought out Steve for answers. "Well?"

Steve was checking out the trophies some more. "Not sure..." He finally left the trophies and checked the rest of the rooms. The apartment was a good size, and maybe it wouldn't be so bad befriending the neighbors like Stef had done. Still... He walked back out to them in the living room. "I like it... but the trophies..."

"Weird, huh? I'm not sure about her, but what choice do we have, call birdbrain or his ex?"

"Call her Protectress," Stef told him. "I can put the trophies in storage if it bothers you so much."

"Pain in my ass, more like it," he muttered.

"Careful," Stef warned.

"Why trophies?" Bucky decided to ask.

Stef looked around the place. "Well without them, it's pretty dull." She snatched up the bow beside the couch. "I guess I can keep this and get rid of the rest."

"Steve? So we have to stay?"

"Do you ever check to make sure he's not bugged?" she quietly wondered.

"How deep a check do you want? I can show you if you like?" Bucky spat while wrapping his metal arm tight around Steve's waist.

"Well, HYDRA agents are pretty good at the secrecy... Might say one thing, might mean another. Never know where they are... what they might have been part of... what requests they may have made." She casually aimed the broken bow at Steve. "Then again you guys just met me, what do I know?"

"Don't you think I know all this? Steve, give me your phone!"

He checked his pockets, pulling it out and handing it to him. Bucky stalked off and looked in the contacts and sure enough the she-archer had put her number in Steve's phone. He hit dial and waited.

Steve watched him go, turning to Stef after a moment. "What are you trying to do?"

She simply smiled and hopped up onto her feet. "I can't make sure you're not a threat, but he can. Never trust HYDRA." She walked into the kitchen.

Bucky was having a hurried discussion in the corner and kept looking over at Steve.

"I've given that up," Steve said as he followed her to the kitchen.

"I don't know." Stef turned to face him. "Maybe you did. Maybe you say it."

He folded his arms, feeling he would have to defend himself for the rest of his life due to his idiotic choices. "Say what you want. I have nothing left to hide."

"And why haven't you turned yourself in for working with HYDRA?" the woman questioned.

Bucky slowly walked back over to the two and held Steve's phone out to Stef. "Because of me."

She looked at him and took the phone. "Protectress on here?"

"Yes, she'd like a word."

She put the phone her ear. "Yes?"

Steve put a hand on Bucky's shoulder, asking, "You okay...?"

"Just trying to figure out how this is my life now? Are we okay? We haven't had time to talk. There's a lot I still don't know about you. There's still a lot I don't know about me and there's a lot I don't know about us,” Bucky answered.

A few steps away, Stef was listening to Mia on the phone. [What is going on? I swear any more super soldier drama and I'm running away to join the circus.]

She raised her brow before turning away from the two men. "What were you told, Protectress?"

[Something about going to ground and safe houses and psycho killer trophies; what the hell, Winter?]

Stef quickly turned to Bucky to give him a pissed off look before turning away again, telling Mia, "Just his paranoia getting the better of him, probably. They need a new place to crash so I offered mine."

[You have a place? Since when? Why? I'm soo not caffeinated enough for this.]

"Oh, relax, Protectress; the worst that will happen today is I try to pop Captain in the skull and then fail because danger pup will stop me."

[That's what he's afraid of... He wants me to come over and mediate this clusterfuck.]

With a light sigh, Steve said, "She does not like me.” Looking at Bucky, he added, “She likes you though."

"And you want to live with her? She'll probably try to kill you in the shower or something..."

"You think I'll lose that easily, Buck?" he had to ask. "But that would be awkward..."

"No, but some things never change. I'll always want to protect you. Even now when you don't need me to, I'll still try."

Stef moved the phone to her left hand. "Sure, sure. If you think you need to come over." She turned around, facing them again.

Mia groaned, [Have death coffee for me, and maybe a tranq gun. I'm coming...]

"Sure," she said, hanging up, but snapping the phone in her metallic hand before handing it back. "Oops, sorry." She walked back out to the living room.

Steve looked at the broken phone. "... Greeeaat..."

"And now we have no phones, I kinda killed mine when I ran," Bucky said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Maybe we'll go out and get new ones later..."

"We're going to have to. Oh well, we needed to anyway I guess."

"And it'll give us privacy if the girls don't tag along."

"I think I can talk Mia into keeping Stefania occupied for a while."

Steve nodded. "Do you think Mia knows about Stefania's little trophy from Barton?"

"Probably not. Think Stefania knows about Barton and Mia?"

"I have no idea." Steve casually looked down at the kitchen table. "I almost want to break that," he muttered, checking to see if he could get the SIM card out of the phone.

"I can think of a few ways to do that," Bucky replied with a devilish smile.

Steve didn't say anything at first, color flushing to his cheeks as he cleared his throat. "Let's... let's, uh, see what Stef is doing."

"If you want."

He quietly looked up at Bucky, just staring for a few minutes. As he finally went to pass him, he gave a quick kiss to his cheek, making Bucky smile. This was going to be an interesting day.

Steve looked back at the table again before walking outside, wondering what the next thing of his to break was going to be, but then they heard a pounding on the door, accompanied by muffled words.

Stef sat on her couch again. "Come in, Protectress."

"Dang it, Winter, I told you to call me Mia when we're not on mission. Now who has more coffee for me, I ran out walking up the stairs!" Mia shouted as she walked in through the door.

"Ask the soldier, he called you." Stef picked her feet up to lie down on the couch. "Oh, and Captain's phone stopped working. Can't call him now."

"You broke it," Steve said, standing just outside the kitchen doorway.

"Coffee, still too much blood in my coffee stream,” Mia stated.

Stef rolled her eyes as she got up and went into the kitchen, starting to make coffee. "Next time, don't call her on me," she whined as she looked over at Bucky.

"I needed a voice of reason here," Bucky simply said.

She huffed and turned back to the coffee machine.

"So what in the name of all that's holy is going on?"

"You're so quick to trust an ex-HYDRA agent." She poured the fresh coffee into a cup. "Maybe he's bugged, maybe he's not. Maybe he's setting you up, maybe he's not. But now I can't leave you two alone, just in case you go crazy." She then took the coffee out to Mia. "Here, black, like you like it."

Mia accepted the coffee and took a deep drink. "So I'm here because all the crazy manifested in the Barnes’ brains all at once... Steve, you sure you don't want to run away with me?"

Steve leaned on the wall. "No, I'll take my chances with Buck. Your friend though... Have you even looked around?"

"I didn't know this place existed, but I do recognize some things here. When did you take Barton's precious longbow? He always had an indecent attachment to it."

Stef looked over at her. "Barton? Is that yappy hawk's name?"

Mia snorted, "That would be Clint alright."

"So you know yappy. Guess it makes sense, you both like to shoot arrows."

"We're... old friends..."

"You should go see him then."

Bucky watched the girls talking and moved over to Steve, whispering in his ear, "Should we make a break for it?"

"We can try," Steve whispered back. "How high up are we?"

"Enough to hurt but not enough to maim us beyond maintainability," Bucky replied with a shrug.

Mia came into the kitchen to get a refill. "You could just use the door like normal people."

Stef turned to the two men. "Take me with you, leave her here, I'll be good. No more messing with the Captain."

"Winter dear, I think the good Captain and Sergeant would like some time alone, or do you want to see what it is they get up to?"

Her eyes went back to Mia as she said, "Go see your yappy birdie then."

"Come with me, I'm sure he'll love the story of where his precious has been," Mia shot back, waving Steve and Bucky to the door.

Steve quickly took Bucky's hand, leaving with him. "Well... now where?"

"We need phones and to decide what we're doing," Bucky said as they could hear shouting coming from inside the apartment.

Steve glanced at the door for a moment before walking away. "I can't believe it's only been about a day..."

"Yeah; life, huh?"

He kept holding Bucky's hand as they started down the stairs. "You... want to talk, right? We can start now."

"I just want to figure out things..."

"Right."

They reached the bottom of the staircase, going out the door to the outside. Steve saw a few of Stef's neighbors outside watching them again, their whispers quiet enough to not quite make out.

"So, privacy or phones first?" Bucky asked, enjoying the hand holding.

"It doesn't matter. No one can contact us either way right now. No one."

"And what are you suggesting, Mister Rogers?"

"Just that..." He looked around, not finishing his sentence, but pulled Bucky a little closer.

"Yes?"

After a little while of walking, Steve pulled him into a small diner. "We never did eat yet, did we? They don't seem too busy. But.. you have to eat."

"I'll try, alright? Still not used to this living thing," Bucky replied as he went into the diner after him.

"Eat a full meal, and you might get a treat," Steve told him. "Or at least try to. Alright?"

"I said I would."

The hostess smiled at them both. "A table for two?"

"Yes, please," Steve said, politely smiling.

"Yes please, ma’am," Bucky said, putting on the charm. "Somewhere private if you can."

"Alright then," she said, grabbing a couple menus. She led them to a small booth away from other patrons and set the menus on the table. "Your server will be with you shortly," she told them before walking back to the front.

"After you, Buck," said Steve.

"Such a gentleman. Who'd you practice with?" Bucky teased, sliding in one side.

"Heh." Steve slid in across from him, his smile never leaving his face. "I think I've always tried to be gentlemanly."

They slipped into silence after that, neither quite sure what to say next.

"So.." Bucky said, looking at the menu.

"So..." Steve skimmed through his own, looking up at Bucky every few seconds.

A young waitress walked over to their table. "Good morning, gentlemen. My name is Alexa, and I'll be your server. Could I get you both something to drink?"

Steve politely smiled up at her. "Just a water for me, thank you."

"Same," Bucky replied, making sure his left hand was out of sight.

The waitress smiled and made a quick note on her notepad. "Are you two ready to order or would you like a few minutes?"

"You order for me?" Bucky wondered, looking over at Steve.

"Could you give us a few minutes?" he asked the waitress.

"Certainly," she replied, walking away to get their waters.

"There's too many choices..." Bucky quietly said.

Steve smiled as he skimmed through again. "Could always go with bacon and eggs."

"Yeah, that's a romantic food,” the other laughed.

"If you want to go romantic, you could ask for some strawberries."

"I'm leaving it up to you. Never been on this side of the date before," he teased as he put his right hand on the table.

"Well..." Steve reached under the table, holding onto Bucky's left hand, and then holding his right with the other. "How about some eggs, toast... strawberries..."

"Hmm... If I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to sweeten me up, Captain Rogers."

"Maybe..." He gently rubbed Bucky's hands with his thumbs, before slowly pulling away to check the menu one more time.

Alexa walked over a moment later, setting down their two glasses of water. "Ready to order yet, gentlemen?"

"I think so..." He glanced over at Bucky real quick, then at her. "We'll both have eggs and toast, and an order of strawberries. Scrambled eggs for me."

"Alright," the waitress said, a very cheerful smile directed at the Captain, and she looked down at Bucky. "And how would you like your eggs?"

"Umm.. Uh..." Bucky panicked

Steve gently placed a hand on his. "He might like them... sunny side up."

She nodded and wrote it down. "Alright, I'll bring those out to you when they're ready," she told them, walking away from their table.

"Sorry."

Steve squeezed Bucky's hand a little. "It's fine."

"I just," he sighed. "So anyway..."

"Yeah." Steve pushed the menu away, leaning a little closer to Bucky. "What do you want to talk about first?"

"You're really going to go rogue?" Bucky asked, wanting to get the hard stuff out of the way first.

Steve nodded to him, his eyes never straying. "I've been listening to them less and less for a while. Whenever you're involved... whatever they want is ignored." He looked down a little. "There's so much they don't even know, but they think they know."

"Were we, like this before. I feel like we wanted to at least."

He looked up at him. "Like... a couple?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Steve smiled softly at him. "I wanted to, but... I never said anything. Not to that degree. You were always my friend."

"Because of me? The way I acted with the girls."

"Well... that would be part of it. It showed me you weren't interested."

Bucky looked ashamed. "I never thought I deserved you. Was happy being with you and protecting you. Then you had to go and not need me anymore..."

"Well... now I can protect you... if you let me." He gave Bucky's hand another squeeze. "And we usually end up protecting each other anyway."

"It's not the same. But yeah."

Steve's smile was warm as he lifted Bucky's hand, softly kissing his fingers. "Whether I need protecting or not, though... I'll always need you. Just you."

Bucky felt heat rising in his face at the contact. "And what are we going to do about my supposed daughter?"

"She seems convinced that she is your daughter. She looks like she could be." He lowered their hands back to the table again, but kept holding on. "We won't know for sure without a DNA test though… Who knows... we might even learn about the mother. If she's interested in finding out that half."

"It's just, disturbing... There's so much that happened I just don't know, and things like this just pop up, and I don't know how much happened to me while I was in their control..."

Steve was quiet. Other than the brainwashing, he wasn’t sure what Bucky had been through during his time with HYDRA either.

Their waitress walked over with their plates and set them down. "Here you go, gentlemen," she told them, placing a small bowl of strawberries down between them as well. "Hope you enjoy," she said as she walked away a moment later.

"Well, now that I've killed the mood.." Bucky said, extracting his hand from Steve’s and picking up his knife and fork.

"We'll figure everything out, Buck," Steve told him. "But if she really is your daughter... what would you want to do about it...?"

He sighed, "I don't know... I always wanted kids but wanted to raise ‘em myself. Not try to figure out how to deal with someone engineered from the worst parts of me and someone else to be a heartless psychopath."

"Well.... you changed for the better."

"I was better because of you. Who knows what she's been through or even if this is really her or just a ploy to kill me later..."

"She does seem to listen to Mia though. She doesn't like to, but she listens. Mia mentioned that they've worked together in the past."

"Yeah... That one's kinda scary, but she did manage to save us in so many ways..."

"Mention Barton. She's not very scary then. They dated."

"When?"

"Back in their circus days, I guess," Steve answered, finally taking a sip of his water.

"And she didn't know where he was?"

"She didn't like the path he took when he first left." He pushed Bucky's plate a little closer to him. "Take a bite. It's going to get cold."

Bucky took a small bite of his eggs. His stomach didn't want to cooperate, but he made it stay down. "What path was that, I wonder."

"Crime, apparently." Steve took up his fork and took a bite of his own food.

"Barton!? Really? Never thought he'd be the type."

With a shrug, he told Bucky, "That's what I've heard."

Bucky hummed in wonder as he took another small bite of food, still trying to relax enough to actually be able to eat without having to admit something was wrong.

Steve watched him a while. Something wasn’t quite right. "Are you alright?"

Bucky continued to nibble at his food. "What?"

"Talk to me, Barnes..."

"I'm fine, Steve, really."

He continued to watch him, the fork in his hand resting against the plate.

Bucky continued his slow progress through his eggs while Steve watched. "You waiting on a magic trick or something?”

"No, just... wondering if you're really okay." He looked down at his food. "Maybe you don't trust me enough. I understand if you don't." He started eating his food, not watching him anymore.

Bucky stopped. "It's... difficult… It's not that I don't trust you, it's me."

"Well.... when you're ready then, I'll be right there."

He sighed, caught between giving in for Steve's sake and keeping the secret like everything in his head screamed at him to. The debate was playing silently on his face. "I..."

"Take your time. I won't force it out of you." He picked up one of the strawberries, holding it to Bucky's lips. "Try one."

Because Steve was trying to do the best he could, Bucky bit into the fruit like he would normally. It tasted sweet like it should, but he knew he made a mistake as the nausea hit and he retched once before spitting the berry into his napkin before anything else could happen.

Steve quickly left his seat and slid in beside Bucky, rubbing his back. "You alright? Want to stop?"

He shook his head, hand over his mouth and breathing deeply through his nose. "Sorry."

"Maybe try drinking some of the water," he said, moving the glass closer to him.

Bucky took a few sips. "Sorry, I..."

"You don't need to apologize. Just calm down, I'm right here."

"I feel I do," Bucky said, resting his head on Steve's shoulder as the man slid an arm around him.

"Just relax. We can go for something milder later. Maybe you should get some more rest too."

"I need to eat; can't waste good food either."

"It won't do you any good if it doesn't stay down..."

"There is a way to get it done, but you won't like it..."

"And what's that?"

"Order me."

Steve looked at Bucky, going quiet.

Bucky sighed. "I'm still working through things. All this that happened, messed me up. Now I can either not eat and if something goes down not be able to do much more than pass out and be captured, keep trying to trick food into my stomach like I have been, or you can just tell me to eat to snap things back for a bit. It's not perfect but it gets the job done for now."

Steve quietly shook his head, looking down at the table. "Order you..."

"I know," he said taking Steve's chin in his hand and forcing the other man to look him in the eye. "I know, but I trust you, not using the code, but... like back in the war. You know?"

Steve leaned forward and gave Bucky a soft kiss to the lips before pulling back, whispering, "Do you think an order would really help?"

"Yeah, I've been so conditioned it overrides my crazy and lets me function for a while. It's a bandaid."

"Need it shouted, or can I just say it?" Steve asked, his arm pulling Bucky a little closer to him.

"It's not the volume as much as the authority behind it. You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable. I can just do the slow and steady."

"Sergeant, eat your food," Steve said firmly

Bucky took a deep breath as he felt his body react and relax. He scooped a decent bite of hash brown on his fork and successfully kept it down, he tried another with the same success. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Don't expect an order all the time, though..."

"I'm trying. If you don't want to, I understand."

"There will be times, like now, when I'll agree to it. Other times..."

"I know..."

Steve hummed for a moment as Bucky ate, wondering aloud, "I wonder if Stef can be ordered like you. That might help."

Bucky continued to eat, enjoying the taste finally. "I don't know, mine's just programming. Have no idea what she's had done as far as that goes." He pulled the other plate over. "Don't forget yours."

"Worry sort of ruined my appetite."

"If I have to, so do you."

"But you can't order me like I can you," Steve pointed out.

"No, but you still should eat for the same reasons," he said, picking up a strawberry and shoving it into Steve's mouth.

He chewed on the strawberry and swallowed, saying, "Sure, I will." He started eating again.

"We'll make it through all this, won't we?"

"We will, Buck. We will." After a few minutes, he pushed the plate away, picking up another strawberry. Bucky quickly snapped his teeth around it, taking half in a bite. Steve smiled at him. "That was going to be mine," he stated before Bucky leaned in and pressed his mouth close, transferring the unchewed fruit to his mouth. Steve blushed as he pulled away and chewed. "Heh.. uh."

"What? I'm the picture of innocence here," Bucky said while grinning, enjoying the pretty shade of red that colored the other man’s cheeks.

Steve laughed, resting his head against Bucky's. "Right, you're the innocent one while feeding me mouth to mouth."

"At least I didn't chew it for you, that's Barton's specialty."

"Oh, wow..."

"Mama bird remember?" he laughed as they continued eating.

 

* * *

 

Mia kept distracting Stef until she was sure the guys had made it safely away. "Well now that's done, what say we do something just us girls?"

Stef stared at her. "What do you mean...?"

"Mission part one accomplished, give the boys some room to breathe. Part two, find them a secure place. I may have an idea, but it requires a bit of recon and possibly quite a bit of persuasion of the physical variety and a gift."

"Have fun with that, Mia," Stef said as she lay on the couch again.

"Aww come on, you'll end up chasing me anyway," Mia prodded, poking Stef in the side.

She looked up at Mia. "I dunno..."

"You want food? I'll feed you. Take you to the range? Reunite both of us with a certain Birdbrain?"

Stef sighed got to her feet. "Alright… I still think the guys should stay here, though.”

"But what if we could have a hero buildin’?"

"Hero building? .. Like iron head?"

"Better, I heard a rumor that someone owns a building and rents apartments and has issues with Russians."

"How much is the rent, though?" Stef had to ask.

"I don't know, wanna go shake him down? It's over in Bed-Stuy."

"We can go look. Hopefully there's enough room for my collection."

Mia grinned as she grabbed her to-go cup filled with coffee. "Let's go see what's what, shall we?"

"Yeah, yeah." Pulling her hood over her head, she turned to Mia. "Think I look like him now?"

"Just grab the bow and let's go."

"The bow is mine."

"Do you want a cheap place to live?" Mia questioned with a hand on her hip.

"Yeah, but the bow?"

She smirked. "It'll throw him off guard more so than us showing up on his doorstep."

"Alriiiight," Stef whined, grabbing the bow and slinging it over her shoulder. "I'm really going to miss it though. It was my best prize."

Mia ushered the super soldier out the door to hopefully find a secure place to make a stand against the boogie man in the night and keep each other safe.

 

* * *

 

***

 

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	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learning that Steve was HYDRA all along was just the beginning of Bucky's messy life after gaining his freedom from the organization. Upon meeting two young women, he learns that maybe he had no idea what all had been done to him after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It may seem messy, but trust us, the story will smooth out.  
> This fic is a living and breathing thing that is worked on daily. Ships and tags may change so be sure to check.

**Lost and Found Chapter 5**

  
\----

 

"Damn it..."

It was not a pretty sight in the mirror. He knew it wouldn't be, but this was worse than he expected. Getting clocked in the head by a metallic fist thrown by a super soldier was not something he wanted to repeat; in fact, he was more surprised that it wasn't the mama bird stunt that made it happen. He still had a hell of a headache though.

 

* * *

 

"Here we are!" Mia said as they walked up to a rough looking apartment building in a rundown neighborhood.

Looking up at the building, Stef simply said, "Wow..."

"Maybe the inside’s better?" Mia ventured.

"I hope," the other woman replied, pulling the door open. As they stepped inside, she wondered, "Where is yappy anyway?"

Mia casually walked up and started chatting with one of the residents who gave her the required information. "Top floor, broken elevator."

"Alright." Stef found the staircase and started heading up, looking around as they went. "So yappy owns the place?"

"Apparently. It's easily defendable and the neighbors are all close; I can see the appeal," Mia said, going up behind the dark-haired girl.

They eventually made it to the top, and Stef curiously looked at the doors. "Which one?" she asked.

Mia approached the door in the corner and knocked, waiting for an answer. It didn’t take long for Clint to pull it open, staring at the woman in surprise. "Oh. Heeey..."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, saying, "Hi," before she was subsequently knocked into by a yellow blur that went and jumped up on Stef.

The younger woman looked down in surprise at what had jumped on her. "A.. dog?"

"Aww, Lucky, no.." said Clint. "Back in, come on."

"Lucky? Oookay, so may we come in?” Mia asked him. “We brought you a present."

"I guess.. Who's the friend?" he answered as he stepped aside for them.

"Stefania Barnes; she said you've met."

"Who?"

Stef pulled her hood off her head, her hair a mess. "Hey, yappy."

Clint looked at her, then back at Mia. "Okay, nothing happened."

The girl chose to ignore the two as she started playing with the dog. "Hey you," she said, scratching behind his ears. "Look at you."

Mia shook her head at her and turned to Clint. "I know nothing happened. We come in peace and favors."

"Well," the man said, scratching the back of his head as he gave the two women another look over, wondering what else he would have to expect today. "You going to come in then?"

Mia walked into the room, eyeing a loft larger than hers with about the same decor, but a bit less cozy. "So, yeah, need to ask you a favor; a big and potentially asylum inducing one."

"And that is?" he asked her while Stef walked in with Lucky, still happily petting him.

"You have any empty units?"

Clint sighed and thought about it a minute. This could be either a good idea or a bad idea. "I think so. Are you two sharing one, or separate?"

"Weeellll, see, it's for four, but I know the other two will want to share and I can go wherever."

"Who else is coming?"

Mia pinched the bridge of her nose. "Steve and Bucky... I can't deal with their family drama on my own, Clint, and we can help with the Russians and we come bearing a peace offering. Stef, hand it over." The young woman stopped playing with Lucky long enough to pull the bow off of her shoulder, handing it over to Mia. "Figured you'd want her back..." the female archer said, holding it out.

Clint looked the bow over as he carefully picked it up. "Well, it'll get you girls in..." he told them.

"Clint..."

"Look, I know Cap's HYDRA. I know he knows the words to make Buck go psycho. I don't need that in here."

Mia shook her head. "They're going to ground. Steve wants that second chance I figured you of all people would understand needing; but if that's the way you feel, I'll help Bucky convince him to run far and the three of us, we'll leave."

He sighed, setting the bow down. "Alright, alright. They can come too."

"Softie, always have been when... _he_ wasn't around..."

Stef looked up at them as she started sitting on the floor, her arms gently around the dog. "He?"

"Mom told me what happened,” Mia continued. “I'm sorry. Know all of what you boys went through, but he was still your brother."

Clint was a little quiet as he headed into the kitchen area, simply stating, "In the past. Tell the guys they're welcome to stay then."

Stef hummed a little before she spoke, "You know, neither of them have working phones right now."

"And between the three of us, we can't track them down?" Mia questioned her.

"We probably could," she replied.

"Well, let's give them some more time. Stef, they'll probably show up back at your place anyway, so why don't you go pack your trophies and wait on them?"

"Right, right. Yappy, take good care of her."

"Yappy?" Clint asked, confused.

"Well, you always have ran your mouth," Mia answered with a smile. "And Stef likes nicknames for people, other than me."

"What does she call Cap and Buck?"

"Blondie Daddy and Puppy Daddy respectively."

He gave a little chuckle. "Okay, I'm using those."

"Are they your fathers?"

"No, but come on."

"She's a daughter to one of them. I'll let you guess which."

He turned to her. "Obviously Buck; they really look it. But when did he..."

"He didn't, so don't, alright? How's the head, by the way? You look like an elephant sat on your face."

"Ah... It's not pretty to look at. Still got a headache, but doing better… But now, how…”

"Poor guy's been a science experiment for over seventy years. He was and I quote, ‘harvested for genetic material’. Now let me get you an ice pack or something, that's nasty," Mia said, moving a bit closer.

"It'll be fine, everything heals eventually.... How are you?"

"Oh, you know; ran away from the circus, string of bad men because they seem to be my type, started heroing because, well, what else do I do with my life..."

"And she's mediator between me and Cap, apparently," Stef chimed in as she finally headed to the door to leave. "Oh, and I hope you have a strong table," she added with a grin as she walked out of the apartment.

"Why do I need a strong table...?" Clint wondered, a little worried.

"I don't want to know. Probably better if I don't know..." Mia told him.

"Right... So..."

"So..."

"Sooo... coffee?"

"Nectar of the gods, yes.”

Clint went to the coffee machine and got it started. "Well, these last couple days have been pretty interesting, huh?"

"Interesting is a word you can use. Super Soldier babysitter is another... So, how have you been? I've seen the files but I want to know the real deal," Mia said as she came up beside him.

"I've been alright... Fixing the place up, disappearing to help with this and that. Yesterday sucked."

"Pissing off the Russians."

"That too."

"So you became the man I saw in you."

He got out a couple cups. "I hope that's a good thing," he stated as he poured the coffee.

"Yeah, it is. It's why I had to leave, I couldn't see you destroy yourself just to keep Barney."

Handing her one of the cups, he mumbled, "Yeah, well..."

Mia sipped the bitter brew with a contented hum. "Tastes like home."

"The magic of coffee."

She blushed, telling him, "Just yours, mine never tastes the same."

Clint shrugged, drinking his own. "Well, while you're here, you can have some every day."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean, you know where I am, I'll know where you are..."

"Just like old times, so close but so far..." she muttered, turning to lean against the island.

He watched her, sipping more of the coffee. "So... how's your aim? If you want to practice together sometime..."

"I just nicked a man's cheek through a broken window while I was on a second story roof."

"Nice," he said with a grin. "Doesn't mean we can't train together."

"You have a range? All I have to do is pick some things up from my old place unless you want to go now and let me use yours. Or I do have my throwing knives."

"Knives, fun. I'll stick to arrows. And I don't mind if you borrow stuff. Just let me know before I go looking for whatever was borrowed."

Mia wrinkled her nose at him. "What about swords? You still up on those skills?"

"Prefer arrows, thanks." He finished his cup of coffee, peeking at her cup before asking, "Want more?"

"And _that's_ why you need saved all the time; I just took down a powered guy by myself, man, two days ago and don't look a quarter as dead as you," Mia giggled at his arrow preference. "And if you're brewin’, I'm drinking."

"I look like this because I made the mistake of punching a super dude in the face and he got me back," Clint replied while he took her cup and went back to the coffee machine.

"I shot mine in the face with an arrow, put a knife in his knee, and had a blade at his throat before I cuffed and injected him with a tracker," she shot back, hiding a grin. "He was trying to shoot me and slit my throat with my own arrow if it makes you feel better."

"You've gotten pretty good, it sounds like." He grinned over at her as the coffee began to brew. "You've always been good though."

"I try, it never came as easy to me, but I worked hard," she replied while hiding her blush behind a curtain of hair.

"That's all it is," Clint told her. "Working hard to be at your best." He let the coffee go for a few minutes as he moved to face her, leaning lightly on the counter. "Want to check out the empty rooms in a bit, or wait for the super team?"

Mia chuckled. "Oh, well, if I'm bunking with Stef, I should probably stake out my corner before she fills it with her trophies."

"Do I want to know what kind of trophies you're talking about?"

"Mission trophies mostly; those Barnes' aren't right in the head, I tell you."

"But Buck doesn't collect, right? And seriously, how is she even around? I mean yeah, I get the DNA harvesting.. but.. why?"

"I don't know, but apparently he's got me on speed dial as mediator, of all things. She was made to end the Russians’ Winter Soldier and Black Widow participants so they couldn't destroy any more. Bucky was the strongest, she was designed to kill him," she said, hugging herself.

"What's going to happen to my building?" he mumbled, turning to the machine to pour the fresh cups of coffee. "She wants to kill him, Steve's HYDRA, and Buck's a time bomb that can go off at any second..." He brought the fresh coffee over to Mia.

Mia took the cup, accidentally brushing her calloused fingers across Clint's hand as she did. "Steve's abandoned HYDRA to be with Bucky, Winter no longer sees Bucky as a threat, and Bucky is lost, hurting, and trying to come to terms with being used as a weapon instead of being treated like a human. If you'll help me, I think we can turn this mess of crazy into a unified family."

"One great big happy family. With mama bird at the top," he stated, drinking some of the fresh coffee.

"You're still crazy, boy."

"Maybe that's why I'm still doing this, too crazy to stop."

Mia stared at him, unsure how to continue. He wasn't the rash young man who left years ago, but he was still the hurt young boy underneath the hero exterior.

Clint finished his cup of coffee, scratching Lucky on the head. "Alright. Now... Want to go see some of the empty rooms?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Mia told him, "Yeah, sure."

"Great." He grabbed some keys and went over to the door. "How high do you want?"

"Well, since you have the best spot here, why don't you just put us in strategic points in case it comes down to a fight? You're housing three more snipers and a ground man so where would you like us?"

"Okay.. Let's see." He went out into the hall, checking his keys. "Maybe give the guys a room on a corner."

“As long as Bucky has sight lines and a place to shoot from, he should be fine."

"I figure he'd like a corner then because he can see the area better. Besides, we can go up to the roof if we ever need to, too." He started walking down the hall. "Maybe I'll have you and Winter close to mine."

"Any reason for that?"

Clint shrugged, going down to the next room and using the key to unlock and open it, then he stepped aside for Mia. "Check it out, what do you think?"

She walked up to the door and peeked inside. It was a cozy setup, plenty of space to train and not get in each other's way. "Are those bedrooms?" she asked, seeing the empty rooms off to the side.

"Sure." He stepped in, walking through the apartment with her. "They don't have to be bedrooms, though. Depends on what you put in there. Let me know if there's anything broken I need to fix."

"You’re mister fix-it now? That's new. But bedrooms are probably best, or you'll have to deal with a dead body."

"I don't want to deal with a dead body..."

"Take bets on whose it'll be."

"I really don't want to," Clint said again, checking the rooms to be sure everything was okay. Mia blocked the doorway as he stepped into one of them, wanting to see what he'd do. "Looks like there's no holes or anything." He turned to leave, raising a brow at her. "And you want to keep me?"

"What would you do if the answer was yes?"

"Depends on what you want to keep me for."

"Oh?" she asked, moving closer.

He watched her, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Like... if you wanted to keep me for some kind of crazy science experiment, I might try to get out." He grinned a little as he added on, "But I don't think you're the type to do that."

"Might use you for target practice, but you already know that."

"It wouldn't be the first time."

Mia moved a bit closer still. "So, you're not seeing anyone?"

"Right now? Don't think so."

She laughed. "You don't think so? You're still that oblivious, that's cute."

"If I was seeing someone, I'm probably not now."

"So if I were to do this," she said, sliding her arms through his own and around his waist, "you'd have no objections nor would I get threatened by any more powered, crazy people?"

"Heh... So, uh... Maybe I could.. let you stay with me, maybe."

"Really? Maybe? That's all I get?" she asked, smiling.

"Do you want to room with me? I can be a handful," Clint warned her.

"Hmm, let me think about that. My choices are a crazy Russian assassin girl, or someone I've loved that I never really quit."

Clint was rather quiet as he stared at her for a few minutes. "You know... I think I'll move some stuff around at my place.. free up some space for you."

Mia squeezed him in a hug. "Then we should run by my place and pick up a few things. It'll be a while before people come back..."

"Yeah, sure. Sure. Where's your place?"

"Got a ride? It's a bit of a ways. Oh, and don't worry about my flirting with Cap, I like to make him squirm."

"He's too easy, try making Buck squirm." He pulled his hands out of his pockets, finally giving her a hug back. As he pulled away, he grinned and said, "I mean it, if you can make him squirm, I'll buy you dinner."

"Oh, it's so on. You know better than to dare me, Barton."

"But this is Barnes, he's not gonna squirm so easily." He slipped passed her, heading out of the room.

Mia followed him out, saying, "We'll have fun in the meantime."

"So are we going to your place now?"

"If you got a ride, or we gotta taxi it."

"Actually, taxi sounds fun."

"Alright then, Hawkeye, let's get my things," she said while taking his hand and walking toward the door.

"Sure thing," he replied, leaving the apartment and shutting the door, locking it.

 

* * *

 

Steve held Bucky's hand as they hiked up the steps to Stef's apartment later that afternoon. "Do you think they're still both alive?"

"No clue, especially if it came to a fire fight," Bucky mused as they came upon the door. There was some muffled banging and the sound of things falling over on the other side of the door, until it was suddenly quiet after a somewhat loud thump. "Dead body or redecorating?"

"I have no idea," Steve said, checking the door, finding it unlocked, so he opened it and looked inside.

Stef looked up at them from her perch on her tipped over couch, wearing Steve's Captain America gear from head to toe, the shield on her arm. "Oh, you guys finally came back! Mia found us all a place to stay."

Bucky bursted out laughing at Stef's outfit and Steve's face, while Steve had no idea what to say, still surprised by what he was seeing. "You..."

Stef lifted the helmet a little to see them better. "So I think being adopted by Mister America will be okay. And I grabbed some of your guys' clothes while I was there. I have no idea whose was whose, so I grabbed whatever," she said, pointing to the messily packed bag in the corner. "We gotta head back to yappy's for our rooms."

"Well the girls sure are efficient. Guess they solved the problem as long as you don't mind Clint as a landlord," Bucky remarked through his laughing.

Steve shook his head. "I don't mind him, but are you going to wear that the whole time?" he asked Stef.

She grinned and threw her hands up, not caring how baggy it was on her, with an exclaimed, "Duh!"

Bucky was still trying to control his laughter. This was too much after everything that happened. It really wasn't that funny, but he couldn't stop.

"Well, you're in a much better mood," she observed, getting off her couch and walking over to the two men, smiling up at Bucky. "Good. And you." She turned her attention over to Steve. "Upset him again and don't expect me to hold back."

"I don't plan to upset him again," Steve sighed. "Just please, get out of my uniform."

"I like it though," she said with a small pout, acting much like an actual child.

"It'll draw too much attention," he tried to argue.

"I can take out anyone that tries to start anything," Stef countered.

Bucky took a deep breath so he could try to talk. "We can make you one later if you take it off."

She gave a dramatic sigh before she said, "I guess."

Bucky just smiled and asked her, "So was there anything else we can get from our place or is it all compromised?"

"Don't worry about going back unless you want underwear. I was _not_ touching that."

"Sketchbooks and supplies, weapons cache, favorite novels?"

"I found the shield and the clothes. I couldn't stick around for long. Some suspicious folks, other than me, were starting to snoop around the building."

"What kind of suspicious folk?" he asked wearily.

"Like the kind of folks he's leaving. I got the shield though!" Bucky tensed up and took a sharp breath at the casual mention of HYDRA. "And I already checked his stuff, no bugs,” Stef continued. “Checked the clothes, no bugs. No bugs on anything I grabbed. I made a quick look around the apartment to be sure, found nothing." She set the shield down, pulling off the helmet and quickly putting it on Bucky's head. "So it wasn't blondie daddy that led them there. Relax." She walked away from them. "Let me pack my stuff real quick and we can head off."

He looked at Steve as Stef went around packing. "How?"

Steve let out a light sigh. "I have no idea."

"So?"

"They really like the neighbors," Stef spoke up as she went from the bedroom to the kitchen. "Lots of chatter."

"That's not good... Kinda glad this move was sprung on us... Still think we should go farther but consolidating resources was a smart move at least."

Stef came back into the living room and grabbed the guys' bag, shoving it into Bucky's arms. "And you guys took a long time. If I didn't need to wait for you, I could be playing with yappy's dog right now." She went to her bedroom again. "And I've decided that blondie's perfectly trustworthy and I won't try starting a fight again."

"So now you're okay with me?" Steve asked her.

"I found your little something dad don't know about," she answered.

"What something?" Bucky asked suspiciously.

"I'm not telling that." She came back out again with her own bag, still wearing Cap's uniform.

"You should really change," Steve told her.

"Fine, fine," she said as she rolled her eyes, putting her bag in Steve's arms and going to her bedroom once more.

"We should move in case someone managed to follow Stef," Bucky said.

Steve turned to him with a nod. "You're right."

Stef hurried out to them a few minutes later, wearing her hoodie so as to hide the shine of her arm. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Let's move out then, but keep watch," Bucky told them, slinging the bag on his shoulder and checked his hip.

Stef smiled as she started heading downstairs. "The place is pretty run-down and old looking. And seriously, yappy's face was not a pretty sight when we got there earlier. He's all bruised up."

"Good," Bucky replied as he followed, eyes sweeping for danger.

She led them outside and down the sidewalk, glancing around. "Did you have a good morning after you left?"

"Mostly," Steve answered her, watching people around them as well, trying not to seem too obvious.

"Had a good talk," Bucky added.

Stef nodded as they kept walking. It took them awhile to get there, but she excitedly clapped her hands as they finally walked up to the building. "This is it, this is the place," she said, sounding very proud of herself, so glad that she was able to lead them back without much issue.

"Why does the universe hate us?" Bucky glumly wondered.

Steve went inside with him. "Hopefully it will start to get better."

Stef walked in after them, saying, "Definitely. By the way, the thing I found may be in your guys' bag." She quickly ran over to the stairs and starting going up in a rush to see the dog again. "Take your time!" she shouted down to them.

"What's she talking about, Steve?" Bucky asked, stopping in the lobby.

Looking at him, Steve suggested, "Let's figure out where we're staying first.”

Bucky gave him a stern look. "No secrets?"

"It's not exactly a secret, it's a..."

"A what?"

"A..." He tried to think of a way to explain without giving it away. "A..." After several minutes, he decided on, "A... surprise for later; it's not a bad thing, really." He turned to face Bucky fully, seeing that he wasn’t totally convinced by his answer. "If it was a bad thing, do you think she'd seriously be on my side all of a sudden?"

"Who's on your side now?" Mia asked as she was coming down the stairs. "Stef ran past us babbling and whining about not being able to keep a uniform."

Steve looked over at her. "She was in my uniform when we got back to her place."

"So glad I'm not rooming with her."

"You have your own then?"

Clint was heading down behind her. "Feeling better, Buck?" he asked, a stupid grin on his face.

"You get lucky or something?" Bucky shot back.

"Not yet," he answered, "but Mia and I are rooming. You guys get the corner apartment, Winter's is between us. I figured you'd like having the corner, Buck, you can keep watch from two sides."

"And that's enough of that, Clint, we do not discuss fun times outside of us, please for the love of all that's holy," Mia said with a slight blush in her cheeks.

"I said _one_ thing."

Steve smiled a little, glad that they had showed up. "Well, I'm happy for you two. See, the reunion was good."

"And you don't know where I hid my weapons so if you value all your parts where they are. Do. Not. Ever," Mia threatened.

"So, possible death has brought people together," Bucky mused.

"Heh, guess so," said Clint. "Now, do you want to come upstairs and check the place out? If you don't like it, fine."

"No, if they don't like it then they can take their chances on their own. We're here to watch out for each other and if they don't like it, tough, leave," Mia said sternly, a look of steel in her eyes.

"She's scary..." Bucky observed, raising his hands in surrender.

"I'm sure it's a great room," Steve said. "Just show us where it is."

Clint shrugged. "Are you two done with whatever you were arguing about, then? I can wait a few if you're not."

"We should get set up if Stef's intel is correct."

"All she mentioned was a uniform."

"People were at Steve's asking questions," Bucky explained as he began moving towards the stairs.

"Well, anyone would ask about Captain America," said Clint, but he started back up anyway, with Steve following after them.

"Do we need to set up a watch rotation?" Mia sighed as she brought up the rear.

"I really hope not. This morning was so good too," Clint commented, leading everyone to the top floor.

"I just want to curl up and sleep. Y'all have worn me out. I feel like I should start charging for Super Soldier babysitting services," Mia grumbled.

"I'm very sorry about everything," Steve told her, "but thank you for all you've been doing to help with the situation."

"Like I could not help the hunk that walked into my watering hole looking like someone just killed his puppy," she purred.

"Speaking of puppies," Clint started, turning to Bucky, "take Winter to get her own dog or something, I think she wants to steal mine."

"She's a grown woman; if she wants a dog, she can get her own damn dog," Bucky replied.

"But not as adorable as the puppy I'm looking at," Mia jabbed at Bucky, knowing he and Steve would get the reference.

"He is, isn't he?" Steve said with a smile before thinking Clint’s earlier comment over. "Actually, it might not be bad for Bucky to take Stef to get one. As long as they don't destroy anything else."

"You know, I'd take him off your hands if I wasn't pursuing other animals in the building," Mia teased.

Clint sighed. "Don't tell me I'm gonna have competition already."

"I'm still here, guys..." Bucky reminded them, wondering why they were talking about this when there was a potential threat.

"Buck, seriously though, take a break. I'm capable of keeping watch of my own building. If anything happens, I'll wake up Mia. Guns would be pretty loud anyway if you're trying to keep a low profile."

"Sorry, Barton, Rogers, but if The Winter Soldier asks me to warm his bed, you’re both in trouble," the female archer continued as they climbed.

"Mia, I don't think he's gonna take off on Rogers just like that. He'd kill him first, I bet," Clint tried telling her.

Steve put a hand on Bucky's. "I hope not."

"What is wrong with you people?" Bucky had to question as they got to the floor they needed and Clint started passing out keys.

"But Bucky, about you taking Stef out for a dog, or anything really, might be good for you two," Steve told him, taking a key from Clint. "You haven't exactly talked to her much."

"Not that, why are we talking about who's going in my bed? I'll take all of you to bed if you really want to," he deadpanned.

Clint stared at him a moment before taking Mia's arm. "Well, your room is that way, the number's on the key, have a great night," he told them, dragging her off to his own room.

"Let's go, I'll talk to you after I sweep the place," Bucky told Steve as he went ahead to their room, Stef suddenly running out of her apartment and slamming head first into Steve, nearly knocking both of them over. "Ah, sorry! Gotta run, I left something at home!" she hurriedly explained as she ran downstairs. Steve simply watched her take off after regaining his balance. "I wonder what's so important she had to run into me for..."

"Probably a trophy or a kitten hat or something."

Steve thought about it a little before turning to Bucky. "When she changed, did she bring the uniform back out...?"

"I don't know..."

"Damn it... I think that's it." He handed Bucky Stef's bag that she had handed to him before they left. "I'll go down there in case she runs into trouble."

"Why don't you just stay here and let her handle it? She's more than capable," Bucky stated.

Sighing, Steve said, "If you're sure... but if she can't handle HYDRA, and they get a new super soldier… Then again, I guess we're not even sure it's really them either..."

"You also have to remember she's a trained psycho killer who is even more of a ghost than I was."

"You're right." Steve shut his eyes as he exhaled, trying to relax. "You know, I think I need a drink." He walked over to their room, trying the key in the lock.

"I'm sure we can manage that," Bucky commented as he waited.

Steve opened the door and walked in, looking around the place. "Not too bad.."

"Needs furniture, but it'll do."

"Of course it needs furniture, Buck. Sounds like you're calming down though." He gave him a small smile before heading over to the windows, looking down at the street. "This is a really good view."

"More than one reason for that; Clint knows me too well."

Steve went to the next window along the other wall, looking out that one as well. "There's a little more in the way so you can't see the whole street over here, but still a good view."

"Good enough. With the others, we won't be caught off guard."

Smiling at him some more, Steve said, "So, I think Clint made a good choice for us."

"Yeah, now what's in the bag?" Bucky questioned him.

"Excuse me?" he asked, hoping Bucky would have forgotten. He set down the one he was carrying.

"You know."

"Buck... could you let at least this one thing go?"

"I let a lot go..."

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea... Stef is already jumping to conclusions."

Bucky shrugged and started checking the house for bugs.

Steve let out a light sigh of relief. "Put the bag down for now."

Bucky dropped the bag and continued while Steve walked over and checked it, finding what he wanted and slipping it into his pocket. "Let me know if you find anything." He started watching the streets again.

The search continued for a while before Bucky was satisfied nobody had eyes or ears on them from the inside. All he could do then was find a nice wall to lean against while sitting on the floor to think about everything. Steve glanced over at him before looking outside again. After close to half an hour, he finally noticed her returning. "Stef's back," he said as he walked over to Bucky, looking down at him. "How are you feeling right now?"

Bucky shrugged and sighed. Steve sat down beside him, watching him, but Bucky didn't want to talk. So much had happened; he wanted to run or shut down but Steve would never let either of those happen so silence was his only option.

Putting a hand on Bucky's shoulder, Steve said to him, "Too bad we don't have any furniture." He turned to lean against the wall too, looking across the room. "Maybe later we can go looking for stuff, or if you're not feeling up to it, that's fine too."

"Go steal Mia's," Bucky quietly suggested.

Steve looked at him. "I'm not going to steal from her…”

"So go ask. She's not using it and don't wanna buy any."

"Alright..." He stood, peering down at Bucky. "I'll be back later then."

"Yeah," he sighed as he finally got a moment to himself.

"Call me if you need me," Steve told him, leaving the apartment, heading over to Mia and Clint's.

"Yeah," Bucky said again as he left.

 

* * *

 

Curled up on the couch, Mia was debating whether or not to shove the one eyed retriever and the enhanced woman off of her or just leave them as they were. "Clint, help..."

"Lucky, off," Clint said, focused on his broken longbow.

Stef held onto the dog. "He's so cute."

"You all are crushing me…” Mia complained. “Go home, Winter..."

Sliding off the couch, Stef told her, "Well, I'd rather hang with you guys. You got the dog."

"Clint, can Lucky visit Stef? I'll take her and soldier boy to get one later and maybe a treat for you if I get to sleep now," Mia mumbled to him.

Clint looked over from his bow, considering it. "Alright, fine, but don't hurt him."

Stef smiled and jumped up. "Awesome, hehe! Come on, Lucky!" she exclaimed, running to the door.

"Finally, some peace," Mia said, closing her eyes as dog and girl disappeared out the door. "So, what's the verdict on the old girl?"

Clint gave her a puzzled look. "Old girl?"

"The bow. I know which one it is, I remember."

"Oh.." He set it down on the table. "I don't know if she's really repairable."

Mia patted the couch next to her. "Then come here, I'll help you later.” He went over and sat down with her, relaxing against the cushions while Mia rearranged herself so her head was in Clint's lap and she sighed contently. "I'd forgotten how comfortable you are."

"Heh... Should have found me sooner then."

"I wasn't really sure I wanted to. You hurt me when you left, but now..."

"But now...?"

"Second chances are what Mama was all about, figured I'd follow her advice."

"Well, thanks for the second chance," he told her, gently running a few fingers through her hair.

She groaned in appreciation. "Thank you for wanting me back."

He smiled down at her. "I could say the same thing."

"I think you were my one," she said with a yawn; the feeling of someone petting her always relaxed her.

"We'll try to make it work then," he quietly said, still running his fingers through her hair as he closed his own eyes.

They both had been asleep for just a few minutes when a knock came at the door, making Mia jerk and fall off the couch. "I'm so going to kill whoever is at that door..." she growled as she made her way to answer.

Steve gave her a polite smile. "Hey, sorry to disturb you. Bucky wondered if we could use your furniture since, you're with Clint."

She dug a keyring out of her pocket and threw them as hard as she could at Steve's head. "Take whatever; knock again, you're dead."

"Sure thing," he said, catching the keyring. "See you guys later." He walked away from the door then, allowing them to rest.

Clint looked over at Mia from his seat. "So, want to try again?"

"Yeah, but wouldn't you be more comfortable somewhere else? It's up to you, I just need the sleep of the dead."

"If you want. I don't mind where we sleep."

"Lead the way then."

"Sure," he said, getting to his feet to stretch some before he led the way to his loft, Mia following him up. “It’s not much, but…”

"It's a bed and you're here, I got enough," she told him, crawling onto the bed and collapsing.

"Heh. You look absolutely exhausted."

Mia had her face buried in a pillow, muffling her words. "You play referee to three super soldiers for two days straight and see how you do. Not to mention fight a fourth."

"Yeah. I babysat one for an afternoon, that was enough." Clint sat beside her on the bed.

"All three could literally murder each other..."

"At least we don't have Stark to add fuel to the fire," he mentioned, lying down. "Then someone probably would be dead by now."

"You mean I survived? Could you tell my body that?" she groaned, rolling over.

Clint smiled and rubbed her back. "Get some sleep."

"As long as people go away and you keep doing that, I'll be down in no time. Forgot amazing hands too."

"Mhm." He kept rubbing her back for her, hoping nothing else would happen, at least for the night. Under Clint's back rub, Mia's breathing slowly evened out into the rhythm of slumber and all the tension went out of her face, leaving her looking peaceful and younger. He sighed as he stopped, rolling over to see if he could get a nap in while everything was quiet.

 

* * *

 

Bucky continued to sit on the floor. He was running on empty and the new everything just had him on edge. He was glad Steve had gone for whatever so he could get lost in the quiet, until there were muffled sounds coming from the other side of the wall in the next apartment. There was chatter, at least two voices, along with something else. Bucky became alert and pulled a gun from his belt before silently moving closer to listen. The voices in the next apartment belonged to Steve and Stef, but their words were too muffled for him to be able to make out. He gave up after only a couple minutes, putting the gun back and curling up in a ball on the floor. A few more minutes passed and the voices got further away.

Bucky stayed on the floor, trying to get his mind to quiet from the stress of the last few days. It wasn't like he asked for things to happen, he actually would like a little peace for once, but that seemed like a far off dream. How had his life gone from something as simple as piecing himself back together after escaping HYDRA control, to finding out the only person he had left was part of the organization that tortured him for decades, and that there was yet another shadow organisation that had taken part of him and created a child that they had raised to kill him? Now he was running from HYDRA again with their other prized super soldier and trying to figure out what to do with a grown woman that wanted him to be her father, while still not really knowing himself. This was going to take awhile, and the floor felt good and solid beneath him. He just wanted to stay there for awhile and hope the ground would open up to eat him.

A few hours later, the door to the apartment opened, Steve peeking in. "Buck, you awake?" Bucky didn't move. His brain was still reeling with information and he couldn't find it within himself to respond. Steve slowly walked over to him, watching. "Bucky?"

He couldn't bring himself to move. It was just too much effort, so he settled for a grunt of acknowledgement instead.

"Just a few minutes and you can relax in a bed, alright?"

How could he tell Steve what was going on? It wasn't like anyone could relate, so what was the point?

Steve went back out into the hall, Stef helping him to carry the bed into the apartment. He looked behind him to make sure they could get through to the bedroom without stepping on Bucky. As they moved Mia's furniture in, Bucky just stayed where he was as it wasn't in the way, and moving still felt like too much effort. Once everything was in, Steve nodded to Stef. "Thank you for the help."

She smiled back, telling him, "Thank you too. Well, bye." She walked out into the hall without saying anything to the silent man on the floor.

Steve went and closed their door, then looked over at Bucky. "Are you okay with being touched?" Bucky made a shrugging motion with his left shoulder as he was laying on his right. Steve carefully picked him up the best he could, getting him to the bedroom and onto the bed. Silent tears started sliding down Bucky’s face. He wasn't sure how to cope and felt he couldn't ask for help.

Sitting beside him on the bed, Steve said, "I'm right here, okay? I'm right here, and I don't plan on going anywhere else." Bucky reached a hand out and gripped Steve's pants in a death grip. Steve watched him, not moving. "You're not alone, alright?" He softly moved some of Bucky's hair out of his face.

Bucky hated this. He wasn't supposed to be weak, he was the Winter Soldier, and above such nonsense. Why couldn't he just snap out of it? He tugged on the pant leg in his hand, hoping to communicate that he wanted more contact. It took Steve a few minutes of wondering, but then he got Bucky to rest his head on his lap, stroking his hair. "I'm right here," he told him again. "You're not alone." At the contact he craved, Bucky started shaking but was still silent. Noise brought pain, and he had enough inside him without adding physical beating to it. "Buck... it's okay, let it out." Steve lightly held onto him. Bucky shifted and gripped Steve like a drowning man to a life preserver. "Sergeant... there's no shame in crying out if you need it."

He tried a deep breath. "Don't want hurt..."

"It may help," Steve suggested.

"Get beat if noise..."

"Sergeant, no one will beat you. I promise."

He choked back a sob, his mind warring with the orders Steve was giving him.

Steve leaned down and gently kissed his head. "Go ahead and let it out... No one is going to hurt you."

"Can't..."

Steve let out a light sigh. "Alright... but I'm not letting you leave your spot right now, so get used to lying on me for a while." Bucky nodded and squeezed in appreciation. Steve kept holding onto him, but eventually started to yawn, feeling tired, but still didn't move from his position. He looked down at Bucky's face, the man tugging at Steve's shirt, seeing him struggling to keep awake. Steve watched Bucky for a little longer before changing their positions again, so he could lie down and hold him. "You don't have to sleep if you don't want to, but I won't let go. So just rest the best you can."

Bucky snuggled against the solid warmth that was Steve. He figured he'd try to sleep and explain what happened in the morning.

 

* * *

 

 ***

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	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long. After the bang, life kinda hit us both hard so getting this out was difficult. Hope it was worth the wait.

It was hours before the sun began to peek in through the bedroom windows the next morning, Steve still not moving from his place on the bed. Bucky was awake and a bit more relaxed, but worried that he'd messed up with Steve after the last night, so he rolled over to peer through his hair at the other man. Steve's eyes were still closed, but he didn't seem to be asleep.

"Hi," Bucky weakly said.

Steve opened his eyes, looking at him with a warm expression. "Get any rest..?"

"Not really..."

"At least you're talking..."

Bucky sighed, "I'm trying."

"Buck..." Steve gently cupped the other man's cheek in his hand. "You know no one will beat you here, right..? So if you ever need... to just let it out..."

"I... I'll try... Still fighting conditioning...” he admitted.

"You'll get there... Today already seems better than last night..."

Bucky ducked his head, trying to hide his face with his hair. "Got overwhelmed. So much going on, new information about things done to me, new people, new home, new family..."

"I know, I know... Relax, alright?" Steve kissed the top of Bucky's head. "Do you feel like trying to eat? We could get breakfast, go to the park. Get lunch later on. Walk some more. Maybe dinner..."

"Don't wanna move... Stay here for a while?" Bucky said, reaching out tentatively to put his hand on Steve's hip.

"Sure. But eventually I'm going to get you up and walking."

Bucky nodded. "Just need to feel you here for a while. Get grounded."

"Sure thing." Steve started playing with Bucky's hair, deciding to attempt trying to braid it. "Since you're not moving anyway..."

"What are you doing?" Bucky asked, moving his hand more securely on the hip it had been resting on, not minding Steve’s fingers in his hair.

"Heh. Figured maybe I'll try my hand at braiding. It's not... coming out quite right."

"Takes practice, used to do Becca's..."

Steve smiled, looking at him. "So you're probably pretty good then, huh?"

Bucky blushed a little as he said, "Used to be, back in the day."

"Can you do anything with mine? Or is it too short?"

He moved his hand from hip to head to run his fingers through the blonde locks. "It's a bit too short, but I like it."

"Maybe you could do..."

"What?"

Steve watched Bucky's face as he said, "Maybe Stef's hair. It's long enough, I think."

"Yeah..."

"Only if you're up to it... If you don't feel like seeing her, that's fine. Last night I needed help though, and she was available, so..."

"No, I just don't know what I'm supposed to do about her... I always thought I'd have a kid and raise them myself, not have them dumped in my lap outta a lab."

"Just start communication then... although I did kind of go into a sort of 'father mode' while lecturing her about the uniform."

"Always knew you'd be a good dad. I always was afraid I'd mess the poor kids up."

"Always? Even way back?" Steve wondered. "I always thought once you'd settle down, you'd become one of the best fathers."

Bucky shrugged. "I always had to take care of someone; it was you or the kids all the time. Never wanted to risk leaving them like ours did back then."

"Yeah..." Steve gave him a warm smile. "And in the future, if you're up for it..."

"Up for what in the future?" he asked, a bit confused.

"We've been talking about fatherhood and kids, Buck."

"I'm still not sure, especially with how I am, I don't even know what to do with the one now..."

"Just treat her as someone you just met that wants to befriend you." He moved Bucky's hair out of his eyes. "Maybe she is your daughter... Maybe. But you just met too. So think of her as a girl that looks up to you and lives next door to us."

"You're really going to ignore the fact she looks more like me than Becca ever did? It's also hard when she keeps calling me daddy..."

"I'll talk to her about that."

Bucky sighed. "I just don't... Things are so complicated, I don't know why anyone wants me around."

Steve snorted. "It's because we do want you around. Yes, sometimes you'll get into fights with them. That's what happens. But in the end, you're still friends. And I want you around because I love you, and before you ask.. I love you because you're you. It's the truth."

"I'm a mess is what I am."

"You'll improve.. love."

"I hope so, I don't think I can live like this forever," Bucky replied, looking Steve in the eye.

"I'll try to slow everything down for you the best I can... I know everything happened at once..."

"It's not just this, I still don't know much about myself and now there's an us, which isn't a bad thing. I just want to feel whole so I can properly love you and be able to figure out Stefania's place."

"Just remember that you're not alone. When you need someone to run to... just come to me. I'm not working for anyone, and I plan on using that time to be there for you."

Bucky put his right hand on Steve's cheek. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"You've done so much for me, Buck," he said with a smile. "That started it."

"I just wanted to protect you from the pain of life and keep you safe when you were sick and needed me. I liked being needed, and you always were handsome, even if the girls refused to see it. The only ones that could compete with you were my siblings and now I don't have them. You're the only one I have and you don't need it anymore. So what do I have to offer?"

"Maybe I don't need protection," Steve said, "but I do need you."

"You're just used to me being around."

"By now, I'm more used to searching for you..."

"I'm still lost, even here."

"And I'm trying to help you..."

Bucky moved closer, tangling limbs as much as he could. "I know, I'm trying to get it together."

Steve pulled Bucky in more, giving him a kiss, a gentle one. After pulling away, he quietly whispered, "Take your time... It's not something that can be rushed... I know that..."

Bucky relaxed into the embrace, finally starting to feel the pull of sleep. Steve kept holding him, playing with his hair again as Bucky slipped into a restful sleep.

* * *

Mia was curled up around Clint, pretty much restraining him, sleeping peacefully. He stared at the ceiling, having woken up a bit ago but didn't feel like moving and risk waking her up. She suddenly jerked and put him into a death grip while still sleeping.

"Mia, Mia, you're safe, let go, I'm a friend, not a foe," he told her as she jerked awake, disoriented and pulling away, cursing. He looked over at her. "You're at my place. You're safe."

She groaned, "Sorry, it happens sometimes. I'm alright."

"Okay..." He sat up, still watching her. "Sure you're alright?"

"As alright as I can be. Coffee?"

"Yeah, sure." He got off the bed with a stretch. "Coffee sounds good."

"Sleep well?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Oh, sure. Yeah." He yawned as he made his way out to the kitchen area, getting the coffee ready.

Mia sat for a moment, wondering what brought on this episode when she'd been doing so good but shook her head and gave up for the moment, calling down, "Should we get your dog back?"

"He'll be fine," Clint answered, turning on the coffee maker.

"Think Winter's gonna give him back?" she asked, running her fingers through her hair, trying to work out the tangles and stop her racing heart.

"Once she has her own, sure."

Mia came down the stairs and shot Clint a look. "Then her puppy will need a playmate."

"She'll be the pup's playmate.” He opened the cabinet and got out a couple of cups.

She laughed a little as she came up behind him. "But puppy needs someone that speaks woof woof to play with."

"Lucky then. We aren't bringing two new dogs into the place."

"That was kinda my point. I think you'll have to arrange visitations with your dog now."

He sighed, "Alright, alright."

"So..." she said, not sure where to go from there.

"What were you dreaming of?"

Mia pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's really nothing. Doesn't happen that often anyway; I'm sorry it happened now."

"A reaction like that is 'really nothing'?" he asked, looking over at her.

"They've been worse," she mumbled, not looking him in the eye.

"Mia..."

"Clint?"

He poured the coffee into the cups, handing one to her.

"You won't judge me?" she asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

"I promise I won't."

"I may have been with a bad man before and things may have happened that I'm not proud of and I might have a hard time sleeping or nightmares sometimes because of it." she said quietly, staring at the floor.

“Well," he said, sipping his coffee, "at least you're in a safe place now. I can't guarantee the nightmares will stop, but... you are safe."

Mia gave a half hearted little scoff. "Yeah, I know. I've always been safe with you."

"And you always will be," he added, drinking more. "Ahh, coffee."

"Just can't guarantee you'll be safe. Maybe I should take the couch just incase..." she said, taking the first sip of her cup.

"No, don't worry about that."

"I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

“Mia, it's all good, really," he tried to tell her.

"I can't hurt anyone else..."

He sighed, downing the rest of his coffee. "Mia... I'm used to getting hurt. I'm used to being injured. But it's cool if it's you."

Mia took another sip of coffee and sighed. "I don't want to be like him... I don't want to accidentally hurt anyone I love like that."

Clint shook his head, setting the cup on the counter. "Listen... accidents happen. Period. If it's not from the morning, then maybe it's a bump in the hall or something."

"That's not what I'm talking about, idiot, this was a mild thing. It's been bad at times; I've had to replace furniture. I can't replace you..."

"Then I'll fight back."

Silent tears started falling as she tried to hide behind her coffee mug. "Clint..."

He pulled her into a one-armed hug. "I won't leave you alone, Mia. Stop trying."

Mia sniffled. "I just can't lose you now that I've just found you. I don't know why I had an episode after so long, they scare me when I don't know why."

"If it was that easy to lose me, Mia, I would have been dead I don't know how many times."

"I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you. I know you're a tough son of a bitch, but you don't know what I could do if there's weapons around..." She looked Clint in the eyes, coffee forgotten.

"I'll fight back," he repeated.

"That's not the... Nevermind... I'll try to control it,” she said, forcing a smile on her face

"Calm down. It'll be fine, I'm pretty tough, you know."

"I know, just promise me you won't let me do anything to hurt you, please?" she begged, putting her hands on his shoulders making sure he was paying attention.

He looked into her eyes. "I promise."

Mia fell into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry I'm a mess, I never lost my taste for the bad boys and it bit me hard. I'd understand if you'd rather I go with Winter, but I'll leave it up to you.”

“Mia, I'm not kicking you out."

"Just hold me then, if your sense of self preservation is that bad." He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "I'll be the death of you."

"I have a feeling if any of my friends' will kill me, it'd be one of the Barnes."

"Winter will just scare you for fun and I don't think Bucky's too scary," she mumbled, enjoying the moment.

"Heh.."

There was a loud rumbling sound on the other side of the wall, the sound coming from the direction of Stefania's room. Mia buried her head in Clint's shoulder. "I don't wanna know..." Next there was the sound of something big hitting the wall, and muffled shouting, but the strange noises faded as they moved to the other side of the room. "Do we have to?"

"I don't know..." Clint said. "I seriously doubt someone got in... but..."

"Damn responsible adults we are..." Mia sighed. "You coming with me?"

"Well..." He looked at the wall after hearing banging from the other side of Stef's apartment and more muffled shouting. "Maybe we should. But she can handle it herself, right?"

"Unless she's just destroying the place for fun..."

"Aww... Don't destroy my building, come on..." He let go of Mia and grabbed his keys, walking out into the hall.

Mia followed, overtaking Clint to bang on the door. "What in the name of all that's holy are you doing Winter?" she hollered.

It took a bit, but eventually the door opened, Stef smiling all innocently, holding onto Captain America's shield, Lucky behind her. "Morning."

"What... I... That's... No, just no, does he even know?"

"Oh, he knows. I'm not allowed to wear the uniform in public anymore, and when Bucky's better, papa Steve will take it back. He doesn't need it right now though. Bucky laughed the first time he saw me in the uniform.” She swung the shield around a little. "Eventually he'll try teaching me how to properly use the thing too."

Mia pinched the bridge of her nose again. "I'm so not caffeinated enough for this. Where's Lucky?"

"Over there," she answered, pointing back at the dog. "He's my sidekick."

"Why is the helmet on the dog?"

"For protection."

Mia looked at Clint at a loss for words. Clint simply looked inside, taking it all in. "Not my uniform, not my problem. Dunno if Lucky can see though. It doesn't fit him well."

"And one eye... Why do I even know you, girlie?”

Stef shrugged. "You chose to be my friend." She went and set the shield down on the floor and pulled the helmet off of Lucky. "There you go, boy," she said with a scratch behind his ear.

"Yeah, well, I also chose this knucklehead twice now so maybe my brain's been fried somehow,” she shot back while leaning against Clint.

"Hehe, if he hurts you, I promise not to go easy on him," Stef promised, flexing the fingers of her left hand.

Mia made herself a shield in front of Clint. "Nope, he's mine. I get to hurt him this time if he does anything. Behave or no trip today."

"Trip? Where?"

There was an evil gleam in Mia's eyes. "If you forgot, then I'll just go back home with Clint."

Stef just stared at her until it hit. "Puppy?"

"Think Barnes is up yet? The three of us gals need a day."

Stef couldn't stop the giggle that slipped out. "I don't know, they've been quiet."

"Clint, why don't you see if they're decent?"

"Me?" Clint wondered aloud.

Mia turned to face him and whispered, "If anyone else had a bad night, a familiar quiet face would be best."

Clint scratched his head, but finally nodded. "Alright, alright." He went over to the next apartment, taking a deep breath before knocking on the door. "I better not get hit for this."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! The story may seem messy, but please be patient, it will get a better flow. Enjoy!
> 
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Bucky jerked at the knock on the door. Steve was still wrapped around him, petting his head. "Door," he muttered, not wanting to move just yet.

Steve didn't let go. "Want me to go get it or stay here?"

"They'll just come in the window if we don't."

"I don't think it's that kind of visitor," Steve stated as he finally let go.

"It's either the wonder twins or mini me, they'll use the window.”

"Ah." Rolling off the bed, Steve headed over to the apartment door and pulled it open. "Morning, Clint."

Clint let out a relieved sigh. "Good morning, Cap. Uh, I guess the girls want to take Buck out. Pet buying."

There was a shriek from Stef's room; apparently someone was misbehaving. Both men hurried to the next apartment, looking inside. Mia had Stef in a headlock on the floor while the enhanced girl struggled.

"Should we be interfering, Mia?" Clint asked. "What happened?"

"Little brat tried to pull one over on me, she forgot I've got moves," Mia replied, pulling a little tighter in her hold.

"Argh, let go, Miaaaa!!" Stef shouted, unable to get out of it.

Steve sighed as he went into the room. "Mia, let go of her. Save the fighting for training."

Reluctantly, Mia let go. "Learned your lesson?"

Stef huffed a little, folding her arms. "Yeah, yeah."

"Told you I could take you. May not have powers but I got skills," she shot, casually stretching.

Steve watched them to make sure nothing else was going to happen before asking, "And you two want to take Bucky out?"

Mia turned to Steve. "I'd like to have a girls’ day out if this one can behave like a semi-normal human being," she said while pointing to Stef.

"Girls' day out? With Bucky?"

"Just go with it; pet shopping and pampering ourselves."

"I don't know if he's up for it..."

"Can I talk to him? Or see if I can at least? I think it might do him some good. He can be armed, I will be."

"You can try talking to him."

"I'll be right back then," Mia said, hurrying out the door. She walked to the front doorway of Steve and Bucky’s apartment, gently calling, "Hey Barnes, it's pet day and you're coming."

Bucky shuffled out of the bedroom. "What are you talking about?"

"You, me, Winter, adorable furry creatures, and food. You in?"

"It’s up to you, Buck," Steve told him as he came up behind her.

Bucky looked past Mia to Steve, uncertainty in his eyes. "Let me shower, I guess it's alright. Steve?" he replied, going to the bathroom.

"Excuse me," Steve said to Mia as he walked passed her, but she stopped him for a second, saying, "He looks like crap. I'll take good care of him. This will be good for him, you'll see."

He looked back at her. "I really hope so." He went over to Bucky as she left them.

Bucky watched her go. "So, this is a thing now?”

"If you don't want to go, you don't have to," Steve reminded him.

"But it may help."

"Yes, it may. And, Bucky, if you need to talk to me at any time, just call, alright? I will answer."

"It'll be fun... Let's shower," Bucky said, going into the bathroom.

Steve just stayed where he was. "You go ahead."

"You don't want to join?"

Steve blushed a little. "Um... I think you'll be fine on your own..."

"Oh.” Bucky's face fell, not that Steve could see it. "Okay..."

"Buck... I just... um..."

He got the shower ready. "It's fine."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Steve tried to explain, "It's not that I don't want to, just..."

"I said it was fine."

Steve quietly nodded and walked away from the bathroom door, sighing as he leaned against the wall in the living room. Bucky got into the water, which he'd turned on as high as he could, hoping the scalding water would combat the chill in his bones. He quickly washed and got out, heading into the bedroom to get dressed. Steve quietly went to the door and watched him as Bucky pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt with his usual boots and then went to get his favorite boot knife.

"Bucky... have fun, okay? Try to enjoy yourself."

He shot a look at Steve on his way out. "Plan on it."

"Good. See you later then."

Bucky went to Stef's apartment; that's where he heard the voices at least. "Hi.”

"Good luck, Barnes," Clint said as he stepped out of the apartment. "See you later, Mia!"

"Bye, babe, promise we won't bring the whole shelter home," Mia replied brightly, coming over to throw an arm around Bucky's shoulder.

Stef walked over to him, quickly glancing around to be sure about something, then smiled happily. "Morning, puppy daddy."

Bucky looked at the girls like he wasn't sure about this. "Morning, Stefania.”

Mia put her other arm around Stef and happily exclaimed, "I get both Barnes and fuzzy creatures; this is gonna be an awesome day!"

"Hehe, puppy time!" Stef exclaimed. "Oh, but Lucky is such a good boy."

"We're gonna get you your own so Lucky can go home to Clint. Maybe find Bucky a friend too.”

"Do you like puppies or kitties, Bucky?"

"I'm not looking, I'm just going to spend time with you," he said while looking at Stef, the young woman blinking at him in surprise.

Mia's head swiveled between the assassins around her. "Aaaaand this got awkward fast. So food or shelter first?"

"Um, have papa decide," Stef suggested.

Bucky shrugged. "I'm down for whatever."

"And is it okay that I call you that?"

"I'm going to try, okay?"

"That didn't answer my question."

Bucky nudged Mia's arm off him and went over to Stef. "I don't know much, but it's not a bad thing, I guess..."

She smiled up at him. "Awesome! Okay, so how about we all do breakfast first, then?" She looked over at Mia. "Know any good places?"

"How about this dive that makes a mean omelette and coffee?" Mia suggested as she started moving slightly away from the group.

"We can check it out."

"Sounds alright, I guess," Bucky replied.

"Lead the way, Protectress," Stef said, grabbing a black hoodie out of her bag and pulling it on. "And I so hope nothing happens, it's supposed to be a good day."

"Damn it, Winter, I told you to call me Mia," she grumbled as she went to leave.

"We're not even outside yet."

"Want another round, girlie? I can go again if you want. Sorry, Barnes, but I might have to kill her."

Bucky just stared. "Please no murder, I don't want to hide a body before breakfast."

"You won't be,” Stef assured her father. “I will behave. I promised him.”

"Stef..." he said, looking at the strange girl that wanted him in her life, wondering why she did.

"Well, I promised papa Steve that I would behave and try not to overwhelm you. Now let's get going, guys, I'm hungry."

"Yeah, let's go," Mia agreed, leading them out.

Stef lightly laughed as she stepped outside the door. "What do you like to eat for breakfast, papa?"

"I don't know," Bucky answered her.

Mia raised an eyebrow but kept a silent eye as she led the way.

Stef continued on as they walked, "Well, there's plenty of options there, I'm sure."

Bucky sighed, not sure what he got himself into today.

"Do you like eggs? Pancakes? Waffles? Sausage? Bacon?" Stef asked, wanting to know more about him as a person.

"I don't know, eggs are alright, I guess."

"That's cool. Do you like milk with them? Juice? Coffee? Tea?"

"I... Coffee, I guess..." He was starting to get uncomfortable with her questions.

Mia looked back and saw the tense set of Bucky's shoulders. "Winter..."

She sighed. "Right, right..." She quieted down, throwing her arms up in a stretch.

"Onward to our awesome adventures, Barnes! Let's get going before the health department closes the joint!" Mia exclaimed, running down the stairs. Stef gave Bucky a smile before following Mia down.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Bucky asked quietly before descending at a normal pace.

After reaching the bottom of the staircase, Stef turned to Mia. "This is hard..."

"What is?" Mia replied.

"Him. I'm actually holding way back already." She wandered over to the door and looked outside.

Mia sighed, trying to figure out how to best explain. "His mind is like a puzzle with missing pieces right now and he's trying to put them together. People used his body for themselves and unfortunately you're part of that. He's trying, I will give him that." She wrapped Stef in a hug. "You just have to give him time and if you want him as your family then love him through it."

"I'll try..."

"That's all he needs."

"Yeah... Well, I'll do my best... somehow."

"You know you have me to talk to and I'm sure Cap will too. We can all help him get better."

"Mhm." Stef started leaning on the door as she waited for Bucky, wondering if he would ever see her as family.

"Here he comes, let's try to relax and have fun. We can always go to the bathroom if you need to talk," Mia said, giving Stef's shoulder a final squeeze.

Bucky approached the two women at the doors, eyeing them carefully. "I have a feeling I missed something here."

"Nope," Stef told him, pushing the door open with her back, holding it open for them. He gave her a strange look but walked through the doorway, letting it go. "Mia, come lead us there."

"Follow the leader, my mighty minions," she said with a laugh. Stef moved away from the door, allowing it to shut. "Onwards to the best greasy spoon I've been able to find yet!"

"I hope the food is good."

"I like it, we'll see if ya'll have any taste."

"What if papa and I don't like the food much, though?"

Mia laughed as she led them into a small alley. "If there's nothing you'll eat then you haven't tried enough of the food. Yaya takes care of everyone."

"Okay..." Stef looked around as they walked.

Mia eventually stopped in front of an old fashioned looking diner front at the end of the alley. "Here we are. Now be nice or you'll starve."

"This is interesting," Bucky said, walking in and seeing a little rundown place with a few booths and tables and a counter with stools.

"Mia!" a little old woman exclaimed, shuffling in from the back. "You've been away too long, you've gotten too skinny!"

Stef moved to stand by Bucky, watching the lady.

"Yaya! I've been busy. If you can believe it, I met some new friends and reconnected with an old flame. May I introduce Bucky and his daughter Stefania."

"Hello, Yaya," Stef said, politely smiling at the old woman.

Yaya turned to look at them with a critical eye. "You both look positively starved! All come, sit, let me feed you properly." She ushered them to the counter and made them sit.

Stef casually looked around the place. "It looks really nice here."

Bucky just let the old woman lead him, not sure what to make of the fussing she was doing.

Yaya beamed. "This place has been in the family since my husband, God rest his soul, was a little boy. My children have no interest so I run it myself!"

"Well, you seem to be doing really well without them helping out,” Stef commented.

"I think I've been here before..." Bucky stated. "Before the war..."

"Are you going to be okay..?" Stef asked, feeling a bit of worry for him creep up.

"You were Athena then," he continued, looking at the woman. "You always gave me soup when Steve was sick."

Yaya squinted at Bucky. "You... Yes, I figured you were long with the angels."

"Things happened. You'll be glad to know my friend is still with us as well, Miss Athena. I'm glad you're still here, I always loved your kindness.”

Mia turned to Stef. "Well this is going well."

She looked back at her. "Did you know they used to come here or something?”

"No, I was living in her dumpster and she caught me, actually. Been like family ever since."

"Well, she certainly is nice."

"Yaya's old fashioned old country. She likes you, she'll protect you with her life. She doesn't and she'll poison you."

"I don't want to get poisoned."

"Just be polite and you'll be fine."

"Just the idea of it being a possibility..." She shuddered as she thought about it. "That would be a horrible way to go for anyone.”

“She's a pistol. But awesome, look at him. I've never seen him so relaxed." Mia inclined her head at the sight of Bucky animatedly talking to Yaya about the old days he could remember and listening to her stories.

"We should drag blondie along next time."

"Maybe; we'll come with everyone. She'll want to meet Clint too. She's heard about him, maybe I'll test his food though."

"So she's heard bad things, hm?"

Yaya broke away from Bucky, laughing hard. "I need to feed you before you all fall over! Anything you want, Yaya will make!"

"Whatever you want, Yaya. You know I like everything!" Mia said to her friend and to Stef, "I may have vented about why I didn't leave the circus with him."

"Ohh... and what's something you'd recommend eating? Please don't say omelette."

"If you have some of that soup, I think I can keep that down," Bucky said, looking embarrassed.

"What kind of soup is it?" Stef asked him.

Yaya gave Bucky a look. "I have the soup. Little lady will have a hearty breakfast, and Mia will have her favourite as well," she said, shuffling to the kitchen.

Bucky looked down the counter at Stef. "It's a really good chicken and lemon rice soup."

"Okaaay..."

"She makes it herself and only ever gave it to me when Steve was really sick and I couldn't find enough work to get food for both of us and his medicine."

"Wow. That's really cool."

"Miss Athena always had a good heart. I would do odd jobs for her in payment for the food. Those were hard times."

Mia smiled down at him. "Well, looks like I picked the right place then."

"It's nice, thank you."

"She sounds really great," Stef said, quickly grabbing her phone from her pocket after feeling it vibrate, checking the text. "I never had someone like her in my life." She pressed a few buttons before putting her phone away again. "Sure I befriended people in my old apartment building, but none of them were like her." Mia shot Stef a questioning look, causing the younger woman to look back. "What?"

Bucky just smiled. "People were different back then. Nobody had much and we had to take care of each other because of the depression.”

Mia inclined her head to where the phone had been placed and raised an eyebrow. "Mia, what's wrong?"

‘Who was that’, she mouthed, curious.

Stef shook her head at her, turning to Bucky. "So, how long have you and Steve been together?"

"How do you mean? We've always taken care of each other, since my family adopted me and my little sister and we moved into the neighborhood where he lived with his ma and useless pa."

"I meant more like dating, or I guess even almost dating."

"As far as I know, yesterday was the first time we admitted what we were. I'm still missing so much. Being here brought some back but I've always taken care of the little punk."

"Hehe. You're both lucky to have each other, I think."

"Yeah..." he said, going quiet but a quirk of a smile on his face

Mia smiled. So far so good, and fate had stepped in and taken them to a random place that they apparently needed to be. She sent a quick text to Clint letting him know things were going well and to ask Steve about Athena's soup.

"Hehe; well, excuse me a minute, I'll be right back," Stef told them as she got to her feet, walking outside and pulling out her phone again, talking to someone on it.

"So, I guess you and Yaya go back huh? I never knew, she pulled me out of her dumpster and made me clean myself up and get back on my feet after a bad spell."

Bucky looked at Mia. "Miss Athena has a way about her. She really cares about people. What's Stef up to?"

Mia shrugged. "No idea."

After a couple more minutes, Stef walked back inside, slipping her phone into her pocket again before sitting back down with them. "So, what did I miss?"

"We were just talking about Yaya's tendency to rescue people."

"Ohh, okay."

"Sit down, talk, she's going to be a while with the food. I've gotta visit the ladies room," Mia said while steering Stef to the stool next to Bucky and forcing her down.

"Mia, are you sure about this?"

"Just relax and no more suspicious crap," she hissed in her ear before walking away.

She pouted at Mia as she left, then looked at Bucky. "So... how do you like the new apartment?"

"I'm kinda glad that Mia let us have her furniture, it's just, strange."

"The apartment, or the everything?"

Bucky sighed, "Everything... I'm sorry if I've been strange to you. It's... been a lot at once."

"Yeah, well... I didn't plan on actually meeting you. If Mia hadn't been there..."

"Yeah... I owe her."

Stef looked down at the counter. "You know..."

"What?"

"Is hiding from the people that made you what you are really worth it? Doesn't hiding get a bit... exhausting?" she asked, looking at him.

Bucky looked at her and chewed his lip for a moment. "It is, but you have to decide which is more important. Going back and potentially losing yourself or staying away and maybe finding that one thing you never realized was missing and you can't live without."

"Hm..." She looked at the counter again. "Well, maybe I won't go into hiding yet... but eventually, I just might."

He reached out and placed his metal hand gently on her flesh one. "Do what you have to. You're still young and it doesn't seem like your group is as bad as HYDRA is, so it's your choice and yours alone. You know where we are if you decide to come home." Bucky sighed deeply. "I'd like to get to know you if that's what you want. I'm not going to tell you I'm an easy person to be around right now, but I've been isolated for so long I want to try, and there's nobody better at staying hidden than me."

"Heh... yeah. And they might not be as bad as HYDRA, but they have their similarities, I think. Like... just look at the two of us," she said, lifting up her own metallic hand.

"Neither of us really had a choice in this, huh? HYDRA created The Winter Soldier with me and your guys made you because of the threat I posed. It's bad luck to be a Barnes, I guess."

"Yeah... although I guess there is a choice I can make right now."

"Oh?"

She pulled her phone out. "If I want to keep killing for others or not..."

"That's... a start..."

She looked at him. "The ones I go after aren't innocents.”

He shrugged. "I can't judge. I went after whoever got in the way, innocent or not. Just as long as it's your choice and you can live with it."

"Yours wasn't your choice."

"I still remember. I still..."

"Yeah, but I make a conscious choice to say yes to this stuff."

"I liked killing."

She turned to him. "I don't think you did. If you did, you wouldn't feel so guilty. You'd be out there, doing it again."

"I wouldn't mind actually if I could trust myself, but it's too dangerous while I'm still not myself."

Stef watched him for a bit. "Maybe you could go with me on one of my jobs then, if you enjoy it."

Bucky smiled broadly. "What would Steve say? I'm bonding with my daughter over a love of killing."

"For a good cause. But he'd lecture us both then," she said, smiling.

"Wonder if Mia fell in?"

"Ohhh, that's right, Mia... Should I check on her?"

"She's probably just making a progress report to the guys. If she's not back by the time the food comes, I just might have to make sure hers doesn't go to waste," he joked.

"I thought soup was all you could keep down."

"It's complicated. So used to IV feedings and bland bars to keep me going when I wasn't on ice and just not feeling like eating. I don't want to be rude but starving isn't fun either."

"Yeah. I normally eat whatever I can when I'm out. Sometimes though it just makes me feel sick depending on what it is, so I should be a little more careful, heh."

"Maybe sometime we can talk about, ya know, experiments..."

"Food almost ready! Tell Mia to get drinks," Yaya yelled from the kitchen.

Stef sighed. "Aw, now I have to go get her..."

"Poor thing, hurry back unless you want me to try to eat your food as well," he said with a crooked half smile.

"Better not," she said as she got up and went into the restroom. "Mia!"

"What?" Mia shouted back from her seat on the vanity.

"Food's almost done, the lady wants you to get drinks."

"Alright, I'm com'n, whatcha all want?" she replied, hopping off and slipping her phone into her pocket.

"I have no idea what he wants, but I think water is good for me."

"Alright, I'll check and see ya out there," Mia said while walking out to check and get the drinks.

Stef returned to Bucky. "Yeah, she was on her phone."

"Told you, old habits die hard."

"Hehe, yeah." She smiled happily at him. "And I'm glad I get to know you as something other than what I've been told."

"We can talk about it later. But, yeah..."

"So I have a cool dad and a strict one, awesome."

"If you really want, I can try my best. Can't say about Steve but I'll do what I can."

"You're already the cool dad. You probably don't even feel like you are a father, and I get that, but to me you are."

"Never thought it'd be like this. Always thought I'd be having a shotgun wedding after the war."

"The war you guys were in all those many years ago?"

"Yeah, I was confused and good looking so I went out with a lot of fast girls; figured I'd end up with a surprise and a wife," he said with a faint blush.

"Oh, wow. Well, you still get a surprise, just not a wife, hehe. Who knows though, maybe you'll get a husband instead."

"Ask Steve about it sometime, he got roped into doubling a lot. Maybe it's better this way though, I couldn't screw you up and Steve's a good man deep down, really."

"He is. And really, he looked adorable when he was small. Gotta love his museum exhibit."

"He needed me then. Still not sure why he wants me around now. But here comes the food," he said as Mia and Yaya came out of the kitchen, carrying trays of food and drinks. "Hey, ladies."

"We got soup for you, Mister Barnes, with a cup of good strong coffee; for your daughter, a big batch of my special scrambled egg surprise with a water; and Mia has lamb and mushroom omelette and coffee," Yaya said, unloading large dishes of food and setting them in front of their owners before sitting on a stool behind the counter with her own cup.

"What's the surprise part..?"

"Taste it, it won't kill you!" Mia said, happily digging into her food.

"Miss Athena, this is too much. You shouldn't have gone through all the trouble," Bucky said while eyeing the bowl as big as his head, with a generous slice of homemade bread on the side.

"Take the rest back for blondie daddy if you don't finish it," Stef suggested.

Mia glanced over. "I know, if you need anything just tell me, I got you today.” Bucky nodded while trying to avoid Yaya's piercing gaze as she watched him take the first spoonful of soup. Stef finally tasted the eggs she got, with Mia watching in anticipation as her friend started to chew.

"Heh, okay it tastes pretty good," Stef told her.

"Only pretty good? You've never had food like Yaya's!" Mia exclaimed, scandalized while Yaya just chuckled.

"It is pretty good though."

"Thank you, Stefania. It's my life's work, my cooking. It brings me joy to watch people enjoy my food," Yaya stated.

Bucky's stomach was doing alright with the soup for the first few bites, but as soon as he tried the bread soaked in broth, his stomach started to roll and he had to stop himself from retching.

Stef glanced over at him. "Are you alright?"

He nodded and forced a smile. "I'm fine, Stef, really."

"Okay..."

Mia raised her eyebrow over her coffee cup and inclined her head in silent invitation to deal with it privately if he wanted. Bucky sighed with shoulders down, debating whether he should or not.

"James, you need to take care of yourself, whatever it takes," Yaya gently said.

"Bucky, let's go talk in the back," Mia said as she stood up. He stood and followed Mia towards the back.

Stef gave a light sigh as she went back to her own food.

"So that's your father?" Yaya asked her, sipping her coffee like nothing strange was going on.

"Yes. Well, that is what I was told growing up," she told Yaya.

"I see him in you. You should be proud of him. James has always had a hard life. He needs a bit of sunshine in the darkness."

"Hehe. Truthfully, we only met a few days ago..."

"And that matters? I just met you and can tell you are a good woman, would consider you a granddaughter even like my Mia, and James and his Steve are my sons."

"Thank you, ma'am... You're very kind."

"You get to be my age and live through what I have, you get to know people. I see under to the real person. You need him as much as he needs you."

"Yeah... We're trying to know each other."

"Bet you are more alike than you know. But here they come; you can always talk to Yaya, I always have good food and an ear to listen. Also like to talk if you have an ear for it," she said, smiling warmly and patting Stef’s hand.

"I'll be sure to come back again sometime," Stef told her, smiling back.

Mia was holding Bucky's hand as they walked back, but he did sit down and start eating with no more problems. Mia nodded to Yaya and started back in on her food.

"Everything okay?" Stef wanted to know.

"Fine now, just needed a little help settling. I got him, kiddo," Mia simply said, not stopping her steady intake of food.

Yaya kept the conversation flowing as everyone enjoyed their food. Stef mostly listened to everyone, enjoying her meal in peace while she thought about her choice, finally pushing the plate a little away after finishing.

Yaya noticed. "Would you like anything else? I have some fresh baklava I made this morning."

"Oh, I'm good, thank you, Yaya."

"You sure? I think you all need some baklava. I could snap you all like twigs," she tutted, going back into the kitchen.

"Um..."

"Might I suggest not arguing. It's not that much and it makes her happy. Besides, you won't win," Mia said as she finished her food. "I could be nine hundred pounds and still be too skinny for her."

"It used to be famous, and she won't serve it to just anybody," Bucky put in as he wiped his face with his napkin, realizing he had eaten everything.

"Okay... And what is baklava?" Stef had to ask.

"Heaven in a bite," Mia replied as Yaya came back with a plate with three small pieces of flaky desert.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"I'm making you a bag to take home to your men. I thought I'd taught both of you better," she scolded, hustling back to the kitchen again.

"Damn old country women," Mia said under her breath as she then laughingly dodged a roll that came sailing towards her from the kitchen.

"You really are like a family here," observed Stef.

"She's my Yaya," Mia said, coming around the counter to kiss the older woman's cheek.

Stef giggled as she smiled over at Bucky. "We definitely need to drag Steve here."

"We'll come back with our men, Miss Athena, have a whole family dinner with you," Bucky promised, taking the bag from her and kissing her cheek as well.

"Puppy time now?" Stef asked Mia.

"Kiss Yaya goodbye," the old woman said, going in for a hug.

"Heh, bye bye, Yaya," she said, kissing the old woman on the cheek. "I hope the rest of your day goes really well." She gave her a hug.

"Remember, you need each other," she whispered in Stef's ear before letting her go and shooing them out the door.

Stef smiled big after they were outside. "Aw, she's such a sweet old lady.”

"That she is. She's aged, but she's always been that way," Bucky said, hesitantly reaching out with his right hand towards Stef.

She smiled more and held his hand. "Hehe, ready to see the furry friends now? I bet you'll find one you like too."

"We'll see," he chuckled as he felt the cool metal under his fingers.

"Mia, lead the way!"

Mia's heart warmed at the sight of the two of them holding hands. "It's not too far."

"I can't wait to see the little puppies."

"There's also older ones that need love too," Mia pointed out, walking ahead a bit.

"I know that," Stef said, starting to follow her, keeping hold of Bucky's hand. "But I want a puppy... unless I can get maybe four or five dogs."

"Clint was very adamant about only one."

"Then it's going to be a cute little puppy."

"Just telling you to keep your options open. You know old dogs like Bucky need love too."

"But dad's a puppy too."

"But he's an old puppy."

"Still a puppy."

"Yes but an older one."

"Yeah, but still."

"Anyway, here we are."

"Hehe, puppies!" Stef exclaimed, throwing her right arm up. Bucky smiled at her enthusiasm. "Oh, by the way." She looked up at Bucky. "If I get a puppy today, can you and Steve puppy-sit for the night?"

"I guess..." Bucky replied as something came streaking down the hallway.

Stef looked at the something. "Hm?"

"Watch out!" Mia exclaimed as the streak was suddenly climbing up Bucky's pant leg.

Stef stepped back. "What is it??"

Bucky reached down and removed a tiny hissing black kitten from the meat of his calf. "I think it's a dwarf panther."

"Aww, it's so cute!"

He looked at the tiny ball of angry cat and let go of Stef's hand to cradle it in his arms and it settled down.

"I think it likes you."

"So, still not going home with a new friend?" Mia said, laughing at the big bad assassin with the tiny kitten as it stared him straight in the eye and bopped him on the nose drawing blood.

"Its feisty, I kinda like it," Bucky said, running a finger over its tiny head.

"Aww, you should bring it home!"

"Think Steve and Clint would mind?" he asked Mia with a worried look.

"I don't think so, if you want him," Mia told him.

"A pet would be good for you, dad," chimed in Stef.

"Yeah, he's got a mean streak, but he's cute," Bucky said, looking the tiny kitten over some more.

"What will you name him?"

“I don't know, maybe I'll let Steve help," he answered.

"Aww." Stef looked over at Mia.

Mia beamed. "One scary pet down, one to go.”

"Puppy time!" the younger woman exclaimed excitedly.

Mia went to find a worker to show them the dogs and find out more about the cat that had stolen Bucky's heart.

Walking up to her father, Stef asked, "Do you think it'll let me pet it?”

"I don't know..." he told her.

"Let's see," she said, moving her right hand up to the kitten, close enough for it to sniff. The kitten proceeded to headbutt her hand and try to force it onto his head. "You're so adorable!" She happily petted the little kitten. "Aw, so sweet."

"Yeah."

"Steve does seem like he'd be an animal lover too. Hope the kitty likes him, hehe."

"I hope so..."

Mia returned with a shelter worker who was surprised that Bucky was holding the kitten. Apparently it had been found on the streets a month prior half starved with his siblings and after medical care, it had taken to escaping the enclosure without being seen and causing problems. Bucky just smiled and reassured the man that if he was up for adoption, he'd take the little troublemaker home, and that they were actually here for a dog for his daughter.

"Where are the puppies?" Stef asked the worker, smiling.

"What size are you looking for?"

"Size? Hmm.. maybe a puppy that will grow into a big dog."

He led them to a kennel with large dogs of all breeds and ages and let Stef in with Bucky while Mia held the hissing kitten.

"Aww, they're all so cute," she cooed.

"Pick one and keep in mind that if Mia and Clint have to sit for it, they're not enhanced."

"Yeah, but they're not weak either."

"No, but a good sled dog would drag them," Bucky pointed out.

She walked along, looking at all the puppies. "Ohh, I wish I could take each of you."

"Hmm..." She stopped to look Bucky up and down. "Hmm..."

"What?"

She turned back to the dogs again after another moment or two, stopping in front of a puppy with long, shaggy brown fur. "You. I like you," she told the puppy. The man brought the dog out to let Stef interact with it a bit to be sure they fit. "Hi, puppy." She held her right hand out to it. "I hope you like me." The puppy sniffed her hand a little and began to lick it, its little tail wagging. "Hehe, you're so cute." Stef petted the little puppy, scratching behind the ears. The puppy's tail wagged more as it tried licking her hand and wrist.

Bucky smiled at the joy on both girl and dog as they made friends.

"I already know what I'll call him," Stef said, picking the puppy up.

"What's that?"

"James," she stated, standing up with the puppy in her arms.

"W...w...what?"

"Yup, I'm naming him James."

"Why?"

"Because it's the name of a war hero, someone strong, someone that fought alongside Captain America." She smiled up at him. "Aaand the name of my father."

"It's just Bucky," he muttered. "Only the old ladies and my parents called me James."

"Hehe, well I'm still calling him James."

"Fine, are we done?"

"Mhm." She carried little James out to where Mia was. "The next one will be a golden retriever."

"When you move out of Clint's place," Mia said, gratefully handing off the kitten and tending to her scratched arms with a supplied first aid kit. "Let's get the paperwork filled out and stop for supplies for these guys and go home."

"Right."

Bucky just cuddled the kitten and let Mia and Stef deal with things for a minute. Stef looked at the worker. "Could you take us to where we do the paperwork please?”

"Follow me," he said, walking to a desk.

She followed behind him, glancing back at the other two. Mia nudged Bucky gently towards the desk as he seemed to be fascinated by the black ball of fuzzy attitude.

"Hehe, sure you don't have a name for the little kitty yet?"

"I don't know, but I want Steve's input too. He's already got his namesake."

"I wonder what the little guy will be called," she said, then turned to the worker. "Okay, what do I need to fill out?"

The guy walked them through the process and they were out the doors with temporary leashes and carriers for the animals.

"Hehehe, so happy!!" Stef exclaimed, holding the puppy in her arms again once outside. "Aww, I didn't even know I wanted one until I met Lucky." She smiled over at Mia. "We should pick him up some bones."

"And food and dishes and a collar and leash and toys and a carrier and a bed," Mia listed.

"I meant bones for Lucky, heh."

"I'm more worried about the new additions. Lucky's happy with Clint's pizza."

"Pizza, huh?"

"Pizza dog is his nickname."

"Oh wow, that's awesome!"

"Let's get the stuff, I wanna get home," Mia said as she started walking faster.

"Missing your man?" Stef asked, walking beside her after setting down James and picking up the carrier, keeping hold of the leash.

Mia looked pointedly at Bucky but answered, "Well, I haven't had a lot of quality quiet time with him since I finally found him again."

"Yeah, that's kinda our fault, huh?" Stef looked around at their surroundings, making sure to remember everything.

"I'm sorry we dragged you into this, but..." Bucky quietly said.

"No worries, dad. If it wasn't for us, she probably wouldn't have even talked to him again."

"Even so, I guess we need friends with your brand of no nonsense attitudes to kick us every once in awhile. I owe you, Mia," he told her as they finally got to the pet store and walked in.

"Ohhh..." Stef stared around the store a moment before taking off down an aisle with James. "Let's see what's over here."

Mia raised an eyebrow at Bucky. "You don't owe me anything. I do what I do because I don't like to see people suffer needlessly. Besides, Winter's right, you gave me a second chance that I never thought I'd have."

"You saved me and Steve from so much though..."

Stef looked back at them from the other end of the aisle. "Guuuys."

Mia looked at him. "We should go before she buys everything in the place. It's alright, we're good and even right now."

Bucky wasn't convinced but followed to see what Stef wanted.

"Looks like kitty stuff is in the next aisle there," she told Bucky.

"You want to help me pick out things?" he asked.

"I'll go get food and the little things, you guys worry about toys and collars and such," Mia said, excusing herself.

"See ya, Mia. Now let's see." She started walking down the aisle with Bucky. "What colors do you like?"

"Usually just go with Black."

"A black collar on a black cat might not work well, but I like black too." She picked out a bright red collar and held it up to next the kitten. "I think this will look great."

"I'm not too fond of that look," he mumbled, looking around before pointing to a special display at the end of the aisle. "What about something from there?"

Stef put the collar back and followed him to the display. It was full of merchandise dedicated to the Avengers and other heroes. Yes it was silly, but Bucky didn't care.

"Aw, so cute." Stef quickly picked up a small collar dedicated to Captain America and held it up for Bucky. "How about this one then?"

"You sure we shouldn't get the Hulk one instead? I don't think we'd like him if he's angry," he replied, holding up a bright green collar with angry Hulk faces on it.

"Hahaha. Alright, Hulk then for the kitty."

Bucky chuckled. "No, I like the first one. What about for your little guy?"

"I don't know," she admitted, picking up little James and looking him in the eye, getting a lick on the nose from the puppy as a result.

Bucky looked around and saw a beautiful black leather collar with red star detailing. "What about this one and a shield frisbee?"

"Hehe, oh yes, definitely!" She picked the items up and showed them to James, who sniffed them curiously. "You probably smell all sorts of animals and people on these, huh?"

"Want the matching lead?"

"Yup!" Stef exclaimed. She smiled up at him. "You know what, though? This is the best day I've had in... forever." She snatched up the lead to match and set James back on the floor, jumping a little when her phone began to play a little jingle in her pocket. "Wasn't expecting that..."

"Work?"

"No, no, work phone is set to vibrate." She pulled out a brightly colored purple phone instead and checked it. "I got a text from... Oh, papa."

"What?"

"Papa Steve texted me. He's worried, you left your phone at the apartment."

"Oh, tell him Mia took care of the problem and I have Miss Athena's soup to say sorry.”

"Alrighty," she said as she texted back. She then aimed her phone at him and snapped a photo to send to Steve. "There we go."

Bucky blinked the flash blindness from his eyes. "The hell, Stef?"

"Sorry about the flash, just sending him a quick photo to prove you're alright."

"Anything else we need? I see Mia waiting with the rest of the stuff.”

"Anything we forget we can pick up later." She walked over to Mia with Bucky. "Look at what we found for them."

"Cute!" Mia exclaimed, putting things on the checkout counter. "Home next?"

"Yeah." She looked up at Bucky. "Is it still okay if you and Steve puppy-sit tonight?"

"I guess. You'll have to clear it with Steve though. Maybe Clint and Mia could if it's a problem."

"Hmm..." She folded her arms, thinking. "Say, Mia..."

Mia was counting the money for their purchase. "What, Winter?”

"Could you and Clint maybe puppy-sit tonight?"

She sighed, "I guess, just promise to come back."

"I should hopefully come back before the sun is up," she stated. "If I'm not in the apartment by morning, maybe worry a little, but I should be fine."

"Call if you need reinforcements if it's one of those kinds. I'll come," Mia replied, picking up bags.

Stef picked up the last of the bags. "I don't think it will be. I should be good. I haven't had a really tough one in a while.”

"Things go pear all the time," Bucky commented as he was taking the carrier, food bags and dog leash.

"I'll be fine. If you guys get too worried, just call my personal phone. I might not answer if stuff's going on though."

"Just, try to be safe alright?" he said, bumping his shoulder to hers.

Stef smiled up at him. "If I need a hand, I'll send a text to one of you guys."

"Just don't leave me before you get to know me."

"Heh. Don't worry, I plan on being in your life for as long as I exist." She stepped outside with James, looking around. "Let's see, we came from... that way," she said, pointing in the direction. "I gotta remember this."

"Well lead us home then," Mia said, adjusting the bags in her hands.

"I hope you exist a while," Bucky whispered, furrowing his brow in concern.

"Okay, James, let's lead the way home. If I get us totally lost, worry." She started heading off, watching their surroundings as she walked.

"I do know the way back in case you don't know," Mia stated as she followed.

"But I need to know for when I need more supplies."

"It's not like you can't ask me for directions or go with Clint sometimes.”

"Can we wait to fight until we get home?" Bucky asked, discreetly moving between them in case it got physical again.

"Right." After finding the way back to the diner where they had breakfast, she looked over to Mia. "Okay, your turn to lead."

Mia quickly led them the few blocks back to the building. "Not bad, Winter. You'll get it eventually."

She smiled as she went and opened the door for them all. "Well it's a good idea to know the area, I think."

"If you're gonna be living here, it's a good idea."

"I don't plan on moving again for a long time."

"Good," Bucky said, trying not to trip on the leash.

"Careful, dad." She pulled a little on James' leash to move him out of the way for him. "You falling would not be good."

"I won't break."

"I know you won't, but still."

"I may be over a hundred but I'm not brittle yet."

"Man, you're old." She picked James up as they approached the staircase.

"Being frozen will do that to you..."

"Hehe, sheesh. My parents are so ancient." She smiled at him. "But no more getting frozen, got it? If they come after you again, we'll all take 'em on."

"If you come back," he pointed out as they came to their floor.

"I'll come back," she told him. She walked over to her door and opened it, dropping her stuff off by the door as she walked more into the room, grabbing her equipment as little James walked alongside her, sniffing at the random things sitting around. She walked with the puppy into another room, and after a few minutes came back out, stuffing a small piece of paper into Bucky's hand. "Your eyes only, not even Mia or Steve." Then she went over to Mia. "And for you, little James for the night." She smiled all so innocently at the woman.

Bucky walked over and wrapped Stef in a hug and whispered in her ear, "Come back, I can't lose something I just found.”

She smiled happily and hugged him back. "I'll come back. I've been doing this a while, you know."

"I've been doing it longer, kiddo. Be safe, don't let them make you do anything stupid."

Stef nodded and let go. "Okay." She took a deep breath, and exhaled. She moved her metal arm around, flexing all five fingers, making sure everything was in perfect condition, checked her belt, her pockets, and headed downstairs.

Bucky followed and stopped her for a second, taking his favourite knife out of the holster in his boot. "For luck."

She took it and held it close. "Thanks. I'll text you guys when I'm done. Now go show blondie daddy the new little kitty."

"Come home. Whatever you do, come home. Any trouble, we'll take care of it," he said as he leaned against the wall to watch her go.

She nodded. "Text that number in your hand if you need to. Remember, only you see it." She went downstairs, the sound of her steps echoing until she was outside.

Bucky sighed, he had a bad feeling, but she had to make her own choices.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> {Text} = Texting  
> [Text] = Phone conversation

The door to Bucky and Steve's apartment opened, with Steve looking at Bucky, then at Mia. "So.. how was the day out?"

Mia gestured with the leash. "Meet your grandpuppy."

"Grandpuppy?"

"Stef's dog James. You also have a hellion furbaby. Have fun with that."

Steve glanced over at Bucky again.

"We have soup. Miss Athena sends her love. Kitten needs a name," Bucky said, still watching the stairs.

Steve walked over to him. "You alright?"

"Got a bad feeling about this job of hers."

Steve shook his head. "I didn't even know she was doing a job."

"Got the call while we were out."

"Did she tell you anything about it?"

"Not a word. I just told her to come home."

Steve looked at the little furball Bucky was holding. "And this little guy?"

"I kinda adopted him. He needs a name, wanted your input," he replied, stroking the kitten with his metal arm that was currently being attacked by said nameless beast.

Steve held a hand up to the kitten. "... Fluffball...?"

Bucky rolled his eyes. "Seriously?"

The kitten paused his attack to sniff at Steve's hand before giving a small lick and attempting to bite a finger.

"I never said I was good at names, Buck." He tried to pet the kitten. "What about you?"

"Don't know. He's a sneaky little fighter though. Shoulda died."

"Think so?" He gently stroked the kitten, thinking it over. "Agent Sneaky McFluff?"

"Was found starved and half dead, he's a survivor."

"Wow... Mind if I hold him?"

Bucky held his arms out so Steve could easily take the kitten from him. Carefully taking the kitten, Steve started petting it again, smiling so lovingly at the little thing. "You are a fighter, that's for sure."

"Y'all are too adorable right now," Mia called from her doorway.

"Why, thank you," Steve told her. He held the kitten in his hands as it took a swipe at him for fun before settling down and rubbing its tiny head against his hand. He smiled over at Bucky. "Alright, how about... Sergeant Huggles... or Cuddles..."

"Sergeant Huggles Von Deathcuddle," Bucky said, watching the alternately affectionate and feisty kitty.

Steve let out a small laugh. "Yeah, that's perfect."

"You're giving me diabetes, guys," Mia said, laughing.

"Heh." He handed the kitten back to Bucky. "Now, where's the pup Stef got?"

"Over here," she called.

He walked over to Mia and knelt down by the little puppy. "Wow, look at you. What's his name again?"

"James."

"Heh. That's wonderful." He started petting the puppy, who sniffed at him a little and then started trying to lick his fingers.

"Yeah, you both have namesakes now," Mia laughed.

"Heh." He stood up after petting James for a few more moments. "Alright, we'll let you go now; you probably want some time with Barton, right?”

"Preferably a nice long time to catch up on the years with no super interruptions, but I did promise Winter if she needed me I'd be backup, so we'll see."

"And if she contacts you, let us know."

"Will do. I'm going to take the pup in and break the news.”

"Right. Have a good night." He walked back to Bucky and noticed something, taking the small slip of paper from him. "What's this?"

"Not for you, Stef gave it to me only," Bucky said, snatching it back.

Steve shrugged his shoulders, but didn't ask again. "Alright. Ready to go back to the room then?"

"Yes, let's get Sarge inside and set up."

"Right." He took some of the things into their apartment. "Where should we get him settled, hm? Litter box out of the way and food dish in the kitchen area a good idea?"

"Sorry about the paper. It's something she wants just between us."

"Yeah. At least she trusts you with something," Steve said, setting the bowl down in the kitchen area.

"I still shouldn't have snapped at you.”

"It's alright, Buck," he said, turning to him. "I'm glad you two are getting closer, though."

Bucky came over to him. "Today was good, being with the girls. Thanks for telling Mia about the food thing by the way. Seeing Miss Athena, and finding that furball, it was good. I guess I needed it."

"You'll all have to plan another day like it then." Steve carefully took the little kitten from Bucky, holding him again. "So how is Miss Athena these days?"

"She's still adopting strays. Apparently saved Mia from a dumpster. Goes by Yaya now, and sent her special soup home for you," he replied, holding out a white paper bag for Steve.

He laughed as he took it. "Thanks. She probably wouldn't recognize me," he said as he set the bag on the counter.

"You have changed, but so have I and she still called me her James. I think she'd be happy for you not being sick all the time anymore."

"Yeah... Maybe we can see her for lunch in a couple days."

"She told Mia and I to bring our men around."

"So we'll make it like a family event." He sat on the floor, setting Sergeant Huggles von Deadthcuddle down. "Check out your new home, little guy. We're still getting used to it too."

"Want to put his collar and ID on?" Bucky asked, holding out the shield collar with matching ID tag that only contained a phone number.

Steve looked at the collar. "Oh, wow." He took them and carefully put the collar around Sergeant's neck.

"Thought it was cute."

"Certainly is." He leaned against the counter and watched the kitten for a bit. Glancing up at Bucky after a couple minutes, he asked, "Do you have any idea how quiet it is around here when all of you are gone?"

"You sayin' we're loud?"

"No. I'm saying it was too quiet." He stroked Sergeant's fur some. "I did get some pretty good scores on that game on my phone, though, after I figured out how to play it."

"Yeah? Which one's that?" Bucky asked as he came around to sit next to him.

Steve pulled the phone out of his pocket and went through the menus to find the game. "Some kind of color matching game..." Bucky put his head on Steve's shoulder and watched as he played. "Maybe you should try playing. See if you can beat me."

"Maybe later."

"Sure," said Steve, starting a new game, being rather quick at the gameplay now.

"I'm being stupid worrying, right? She's a professional," Bucky asked out of nowhere.

"I'm worried too, Buck. And I bet Mia is too. Stef might be a professional, but... things can go way south in the blink of an eye. That's the reality of it."

"Yeah, look at us."

"Heh..." Steve played for a few minutes before asking, "So when do we start trying to reach her?"

"I don't know what kind of mission she's on. She said she should be back by dawn."

"Hmm... Alright." He closed his phone and turned toward Bucky, kissing his forehead. "Will you be sleeping tonight?"

"I don't know yet. I'll get in bed at least."

"I just wasn't sure if you'd want to stay up." He slid an arm around Bucky's waist.

"Kinda but I need sleep too."

"True... You didn't get much last night, huh?"

Bucky looked at Steve. "I haven't really slept in a while."

Steve nodded. "I can stay up tonight while you sleep, so that if anything happens, and she calls or something, I'll notice right away."

"You don't have to. I'll hear my phone or Mia banging on the door. It's not just Stef anyway."

"Right," Steve said, just as his phone beeped in his hand. He opened it up. "Speaking of.." He opened the text to look at it.

"Anything good?" he asked leaning against Steve's shoulder.

He showed him the picture that Stef sent, a selfie of herself giving a peace sign in a crowd of people.

"What in the world is that?"

"What is what?" Steve asked.

Bucky blinked in disbelief. "What is she doing..."

"This?" Steve mimicked her action with his own hand, just as he got another text. He opened that one too, this time a picture of a building. After that came one last text, two simple words, {Going dark.}

"No, the mission... I don't like this..."

"I have no idea... I have a feeling that building is a hint though."

"The crowd, daylight, this isn't good..."

"I don't know. That paper... did she leave you a clue or anything?"

Bucky pulled out his phone and quickly sent a text off to the number in Russian just to be sure.

It took several minutes, but eventually Bucky received a reply, {Hey, papa}, also in Russian.

{What's going on? I saw the pictures. Bad idea.}

{Not my targets. Just an update on location. Remember no calling this tho. Work phone.}

{M not stupid, why do you think I'm not using English? I'm waiting for you.}

Silence answered him now, eventually passing ten minutes. "Steve..." he breathed barely audible.

Steve looked at him, pulling him closer. "She can't constantly be on the phone," he tried telling him.

"That's not... Nevermind..." He started stroking Sergeant's head as the kitten started clawing his way up Bucky's leg.

"What is it?"

"You remember Azzano, this feels like that again." Bucky's phone received a new text, reading, {Battery's dying' on me, talk in morning.} "Yeah, this feels like the feeling I had before that mission."

Steve sighed as he held onto him. "Well..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Lost and Found blog](http://lost-and-found-au.tumblr.com/)   
>  [LadyDarkPhoenix](http://ladydarkphoenix-blog.tumblr.com/)   
>  [Somiko_Raven](http://crystallized-iron.tumblr.com/)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> {words} - texting  
> [words] - phone conversation

Little James walked around the apartment, sniffing at everything. Clint watched the little puppy wander around. "Gotta admit, he's cute. But why again are we puppy-sitting?"

Mia hung her head in mock shame. "Winter got a job and didn't want James unsupervised."

"Hey, Jamie," he said, petting the puppy. "Now, how was soldier-sitting?"

"Not too bad actually. Yaya ended up being an old friend of the boys' from before the war. I did need to give Bucky orders but things seemed alright. You should see the little ball of death Barnes picked out. I'm not sure if adorable or terrifying is the better word to describe that kitten."

Clint laughed as he stood. "A little death kitten, huh? Glad he found something, though.”

James wandered over to Lucky, sniffing at him.

"Yeah, and I kinda told them unless Winter's mission goes south and she needs backup, not to disturb us for a long while," she replied, peering at Clint from under a curtain of hair as she hadn't raised her head yet.

"Alright... So what did you have in mind?"

"Dog Cops and chatting?"

"Heh, Dog Cops? Sure. You want some coffee?"

"What do you think? And yeah, missed the last few episodes."

"Alright. You can get the show started and I'll get the coffee."

Mia happily jumped over the couch, taking up as much space as she could just to be annoying and grabbed the remote. "Don't take too long, there might be another apocalypse coming in the next few minutes.”

"I hope not," Clint said, turning on the coffee maker.

Opening credits started on the television as Mia cued up the first episode. After a bit, Clint came over, offering Mia a cup of coffee. "Did I miss much?"

She took the cup and set it carefully down. "In the show, no."

Clint sat down on the floor in front of the couch, taking a sip of his own. "So."

"So..."

"Well... have things been good for you? Other than all the soldier-sitting and whatnot lately."

She hummed softly. "Things were... difficult for a while, made bad decisions that almost..."

"Hm..." He sipped his coffee a little more. "Yeah... but hey... you're here now. You got yourself back up."

"Actually I was half dead in a dumpster after leaving my last relationship and job at the same time and it was the faith and trust that Yaya put into me that set me back onto the right path." Giving a depreciating exhale of a laugh, she shrugged and moved so her legs were dangling over the back of the couch and her head was upside down next to Clint's.

"Heh. I need to meet this Yaya and thank them then."

"She asked Barnes and I to bring our men around. She likes strays, I guess."

He smiled a little. "Should be fun."

She shrugged again and turned her face towards him. "How about you? Mama had some news from Barney a while back but nothing since... well... the news..."

"Hmm..." He looked down at the coffee in his hand. "Well... I've made my share of mistakes." He looked at her again before saying, "I'm just taking things one day at a time now."

"Yeah? How's that working for you?"

"Some days are better than others. A lot better. Some days are bad. Some are really bad. It varies." He turned to the tv.

"Still make weird decisions, though. Taking on the mob for a few strays, not the smartest idea," she stated as James came wandering up to give kisses.

"So I'm too nice for my own good." He shrugged. "And now with having my friends move in... Things are going to be getting more interesting, huh?"

"You always were good at taking care of folks. I'm glad that hadn't changed. It was one of the things I loved about you."

"Yeah. But when folks need help..."

Mia gave him a peck on the cheek. "Well, now you have backup."

"Heh. Yeah I do," he replied, smiling at her.

She blushed lightly. "So, what do you want from me besides being your sidekick?"

He shrugged, turning to the tv again. "I don't know... We'll see where the days take us."

"But you're sure you want me?" she said, doubt coloring her voice as she shifted horizontally on the couch.

"You're the only thing I'm the most sure about..."

"You say that now..." she whispered to herself.

Clint looked up at her again. "You sure you want to be here?"

Mia took a deep breath and hid her face with her hair. "I just can't believe anyone would want me after everything. But I know I want to try with you."

He smiled again, leaning back against the couch. "We should be good. At least for now."

Mia gingerly carded her fingers through his hair. "Why are you so good to me?"

He leaned a little into her touch. "Because..."

"Hmm?"

"Because I really like you, Mia."

"I could love you again myself, Clint," she admitted, petting him with a little more pressure. Mia's phone began to ring a moment later, caller ID showing it was Stef. "So that's all the moment we get, huh?" she said as she picked up the phone. "Protectress' bodyguard services, how can I serve you?"

[Hey], Stef said on the other line. After a sigh, she added, [I think I'm going to be late.]

"What's up babe?" she replied, still enjoying petting Clint's head.

[Just going to be later than I thought. Can you tell the guys for me?]

"Sure thing! You just want me to keep everyone here, don't you?"

[Yes. For now, yes.] After another few moments, she said, [I can't talk to the guys right now. Try to make dad not panic so much, alright?]

Mia sighed dramatically. "I'll do my best. Remember we're here if you need us."

[Yeah. If I can't get back on my own, I'll call again.]

"Alright, Clint and I will extract if you need us. Be safe, Winter."

[Right. Later.] After a click the line went dead.

Mia quit her petting and rolled over. "So, wanna go with me to talk to the boys?"

Clint let out a loud sigh. "I'm not going to get punched, am I...?"

"Probably not. She's going to be late and you and I might need to prep an emergency extraction.”

He nodded and stood up, heading to the kitchen area to set his cup down on the counter. "How do you think they'll take the news?"

She quickly downed her coffee. "Steve will be cool. We might need restraints for Bucky, though."

"Probably..." He walked over to the door, stretching as he waited for Mia.

She ambled over, slipping an arm over his shoulder. "This is our life now. Guess we just have to suck up to the fact we're the responsible adults to a group of serum enhanced overgrown children."

"Who'd have thought, huh?" He opened the door and walked out with her, taking his time getting to Bucky and Steve's. He hesitated a moment before knocking on the door. "Better just get it over with."

"I always figured we'd just become a family act and you'd leave me a widow saving some idiot from being crushed by the elephants or eaten by the lions," she replied while they waited.

Steve opened the door after a little bit, looking at them both. "Hey..."

"Hi, we got a call. Want us to come in and help or let you handle it?" Mia asked, giving Steve a choice on how to best handle Bucky and his moods.

"How bad?"

"Late with a possible archer led extraction that she doesn't want him part of."

He stepped aside for them, opening the door wider. "This is not going to go well."

"Your friendly neighborhood backup is here for you, buddy."

"You realize neither of us are going to want to stay here if you have to go, right...?"

"You also realize that you won't know and maybe Bucky might be able to follow if he's lucky but probably not."

Clint cleared his throat. "Why don't we just... go in... tell him... and deal with it."

"Tell him what?" Bucky said, coming up to the group with the black kitten on his shoulder happily swiping at his hair as it moved. Steve didn't say anything, putting a gentle hand on Bucky's arm.

Clint took a deep breath and exhaled. "So Mia got a call from Stef..."

"Not a bad call either, just to let us know she's gonna be late," Mia added, elbowing Clint.

"And Mia thinks we may have to go get her later."

"Clint!!!" Mia exclaimed in exasperation.

"Was I not supposed to say that part?"

Mia covered her eyes with her hand and shook her head. "I thought you were good at spying, it's your job..."

Bucky looked the three of them over as he gently removed Sergeant from his shoulder and set him down. "What does birdbrain mean you might have to get her later?"

"Mia's the one that talked to her," Clint said, "so I only know what she told me."

"It's nothing bad, she's just not 100% positive she can self extract like planned, so she asked for a bit of backup if needed."

"What kind of organization doesn't have extraction plans?" Bucky said, metal hand whirring into a tight fist.

"Well, to be fair, we still have no clue who she's working for, what she's doing..." Clint muttered.

"Clint, you know I love you but shut up," Mia hissed, giving him a death glare. He nodded and went quiet.

Bucky's hands were clenched tight, the knuckles on the flesh hand white as he breathed heavily, trying to control his anger.

Steve simply kept his hand on Bucky, looking at Mia. "Did she give you a location?"

Mia shook her head. "You?"

He turned to Bucky. "How close do you think she is to that building? The one in the photo? If we can figure out where that is, maybe..."

"What building?" Mia demanded. "Show me!"

"In his phone. She sent him a couple photos."

Bucky pulled the phone out of his pocket and pulled up the pictures, handing it to Mia.

Mia took the phone and looked at them. "Clint, any idea where she's at? It looks familiar but I can't place it."

Clint took the phone and looked them over. "Hmm... sort of an idea, but not anything exact..." He thought for a moment. "Leave out the front door and head... left. Out that way."

Mia nodded. "We should gear up, Hawkeye. You guys man the home front in case she does come back on her own. If nobody hears from her by dawn, we'll get her."

"Yeah... Which arrows..." Clint wondered, heading back to his own apartment.

Steve looked at Mia. "Please let us know if she contacts you, Mia."

"If you do the same... I hope it's not... Hmm, we'll get her. I promise on my life we'll get her home."

"No matter what it takes," Bucky stated, eyes pleading in the serious set of his face.

Her face twitched toward a frown before setting in a determined line. "Of course, but please stay as our second line of defense. If she's taken a job from the people I think she might have, we might need help ourselves. I barely escaped my last mission..."

Steve narrowed his eyes. "Who are they?"

She struggled with herself before answering, "Bad, bad people. I had to fake my death to leave them and... Well, let's just hope I'm wrong about this.”

"Why would she take a job from them...? Does she know what happened?"

Mia shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. "They couldn't know I'm alive or he'd come for me so I couldn't tell her."

Bucky came up to her and offered his arms for comfort, which Mia gratefully fell into.

Steve folded his arms. "If that's who it is though... and they're as bad as you say... if we wait too long..."

"I can't say for sure, but it fits standard contractor MO."

He stood there for a minute, quiet. After a bit, he asked, "Still dawn...?"

Mia let go of Bucky and nodded. "If it's a trap, we can't spring it too early or we're all in trouble. If I'm wrong, then she'll come back on her own or just need a distraction. If I'm right, you'll get a call and we probably go to war."

Steve nodded, looking at Bucky. "Can you wait until dawn...?"

"I don't like it, but it makes sense. Would like to know who we're dealing with that's got you so rattled," he replied, crossing his arms.

"I would like to know that too."

"You all know them quite well, we're all running from the same people. Clint doesn't know though..."

Steve was hesitant in asking, "HYDRA...?"

She nodded. "My ex is the one that ties up loose ends."

"Who is he?"

"Rumlow..."

Steve shook his head, cursing under his breath.

"He took me apart and... made me do things... You don't know the half of it, Steve. Bucky knows..."

Bucky nodded, feeling glad for once his memories were still fuzzy on those details.

"Going to be real hard to wait now..." Steve muttered.

"That's why we need you guys to be second wave. I'm... going to be the bait... Don't tell Clint, though," Mia told them.

"Mia, don't."

"You guys need Stefania, Clint... doesn't need me... At least I'd do something good."

"Mia..." Bucky breathed, looking sad.

"I don't plan on losing anymore friends to them, Mia. I won't let that happen," Steve spoke up.

Mia sighed. "It's the best tactical choice. You know it is, so do you have my back or not?"

Steve nodded. "But I am not losing anyone else." He walked out of the apartment.

Mia looked at Bucky. "Am I wrong?"

He looked at her. "Clint does need you and so do we. I'll cover you but don't turn it into a suicide mission."

She nodded. "I'm going to gear up. But if it comes down to her or me, choose her." She walked out to see about her gear.

Steve watched her as she walked out. Before she got too far away, he went over to pull her into a hug.

"What's this for?" she asked, confused.

"Because you're my friend," he told her, slowly letting go. "Please be careful, Mia. Please."

"I'd rather head for Mexico right now, but she's my best friend. I'd rather die than let him have her to play with... I know how he plays, I survived once, I can do it again."

He nodded to her. "Well... hopefully it's not him..."

"Ya know I never get that lucky."

"Right..." Steve sighed, folding his arms on his chest again. "Well... go get ready."

"Take care of them, if..."

"Don't say it..."

"Will you promise me, please?"

He just nodded to her without a word.

She gave a weak smile to him as she went in. "Thank you."

After a few more minutes, Steve went back into his apartment with Bucky.

"She gonna be alright?"

It took a moment but Steve finally nodded. "I think so." He walked over to their little kitchen area and got himself a glass of tap water.

"Never pegged her as a HYDRA contract assassin, or Rumlow's girl. I can't believe she survived and is willingly going to face him if it comes to that," Bucky said, coming around to put an arm around Steve's waist.

"Yeah..." It's the only thing Steve could think of to say, just holding the glass of tap water.

Bucky pulled Steve to him. "She's strong, but he broke her. We can't let him have her."

"He won't..." He finally just set the glass down on the counter, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "He won't."

Bucky squeezed a little tighter. "Let's do a gear check and get ready."

"You'll need to pick Stef's lock; she never gave me back my stuff."

Bucky chuckled. "Alright, but you check my ammo stash and make sure I've got enough to make them pay."

"Heh. Right." He gave Bucky a quick peck on the cheek and slipped away to check the ammo.

Bucky got his lockpick kit and went to get Steve's gear.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Here's a new chapter to celebrate the one year anniversary of us starting this little story over here and two years of writing it. There's plenty more to come in the next year and beyond. Thank you so much for coming on this journey with us!

Mia walked into their apartment, still steeling her mind for what could happen.

"What took you?" Clint asked, sorting out his arrows.

"Had to... talk to them about some things..." she replied, going to get her suit and case to check them over.

"Like...?"

"Minor details, nothing to worry about."

"Anything I need to know, Mia?"

She hid her face in her case so he wouldn't see her tell. "Not really, so what toys you got?"

"A few different ones... Come see."

She went over. "Why do you have tape on the ends? You label your arrows..."

"Check them out."

Mia read some of the labels and scoffed. "Boomerang arrow, Explodie arrow; really, Barton?"

"Really. Hey man, they work." He fetched his quiver and started loading it with arrows.

"Explodie arrows?" She smirked as she followed suit, hands shaking slightly.

He glanced over at her hands, then up at her face. "I'm not going to use them on you." He slipped a few more into the quiver. "And you know that. So what's on your mind?"

"Pre-mission jitters is all," she tried to brush it off casually as she picked through arrows for her quiver.

"Look at me, Mia."

She set down her full quiver and glanced up at him quickly, not trusting herself with more. "What?"

"Look me in the eye and tell me what's up."

She rolled her shoulders and met his gaze, hoping the blind terror she was feeling wasn't in them. "Just hoping she's safe."

He stared at her for a few minutes, eventually sighing as he gathered up the last of his arrows. "So you're not going to tell me what's really up..."

Mia winced. "It's a long, complicated story about how I ended up in Yaya's dumpster almost dead and why... I have those problems and..." she forced a deep breath, "why I don't need you trying to save me in the field today."

"I'll ignore that last part," Clint said, pulling her closer into a hug. "I will be saving your ass if I have to, got it?"

"I don't want you getting hurt. I'd rather all of you stay safe than risk yourselves for me. The mission is to get Stef home in the least broken state possible."

"And all of us leaving alive."

"As many as possible if... he's there... He'll want me, and I'll do it to keep you safe."

"Not gonna happen."

"Not... your... choice. I'll leave you here if you're not going to follow orders. I can't let you be tortured!" she barked, breaking away from him.

"Follow orders... I don't think I can follow them. Not this. I'd rather be ordered around by Cap than to let you get yourself hurt."

Mia shook her head. "It's nothing more than I deserve."

"Deserve...?" He turned to face her. "You think you deserve that?"

She huffed. "You heard me."

Clint grabbed his quiver again, checking his arrows. "Fine. Then let me make a few changes..." he said, going over to get different ones.

"What changes do you want to make?"

"Oh, don't you worry about that," he told her, swapping out a few arrows for others.

"Don't white knight me, Clinton. If it's not as bad as I think it's going to be, I'll kill you."

"You're not gonna kill me." After a while, he was finally satisfied with his arrows. "You like me too much."

She looked at him as she went to change into her uniform. Clint sighed as he leaned back against the couch. This was sounding worse and worse. Mia came back down, her gear with her, hair pulled back in a braid that was curled tight into a bun, and curled up on the opposite end of the couch to Clint. "I'm really not worth saving, you know."

He brought his hands to his ears. "Not listenin'."

"Damn it, Clint! You don't want to know what happened to me while I was with Brock, what I did, who I was! I'm not the sweet girl that was freakishly flexible and as good a shot as you. I'm...."

He pulled her in close, holding onto her. "You're Mia. I'm sure you're still a damn good shot. You're friends with a girl that could probably break my neck in two seconds. You can keep a family of super soldiers from losing their freakin' minds. But the best thing about you? You're a survivor, Mia. A better one than me." He looked her in the eyes. "And if you see us coming in to save you, you better not turn the other way."

She sniffled, trying to hold back tears as she let him hold her. He allowed his fingers to slide down her back and up again. Mia lay in his arms, shaking as he rubbed her back. "I'm such a mess."

"That's why you have us... We'll all get you back to where you want to be, eventually."

She gave a weak smile. "I hope Barnes and I are wrong about this. I really don't know, if it is what I think it is, if anyone but you would be allowed to live if we lost."

"If I'm the last one, that will not end well," he said with a shudder. "I better not lose anyone tonight... man, now I have to work extra hard."

"We all need to. If I can take care of Brock, well I might sleep better at night. He's a monster..."

"If I know his face..."

"He was a sleeper in Strike at SHIELD, you probably worked with him at some point. Cap did.”

Clint nodded. "Alright..."

"Brock Rumlow."

Clint didn't move for a minute, and when he did it was only to nod again.

"You know him?"

"I think... maybe." He peeked over at his quiver once more, debating.

"Go repack, I've got everything I need. Just need to grab my sheath and swords before we go. Mind if I nap? If Stef doesn't call, wake me, k?" she said, shifting off him and curling up in a ball.

"I think I'm good," he said. "Go ahead and sleep if you can, I'll be right here."

"Thank you..."

"Of course. And if you gotta lean on me to get comfortable... go ahead. I know a ball isn't the best way to sleep."

"I'm just feeling the need to sleep protected, nothing against you," came the muttered reply as she started drifting off.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Life sucks sometimes.
> 
> [text] - phone

The hours had passed by, no one hearing anything from Stef. The night was well upon them now, the time slowly passing one in the morning. It was quiet in the small apartment when it happened, Bucky's phone ringing to life with a call from the number she had given him.

"What's going on?" Bucky answered, hearing something in the background.

[Uh, what...?] Stef sounded quiet, cursing in Russian a little. [Oh, that...]

"Stef..." he said, warning in his voice.

There were a few moments of mostly quiet on the other line before she spoke again. [Um... I'm.. finding a safe place... Little lost... Too dark... ouch...]

"Do you need us?"

There was another pause that started to drag before she finally told him, [Y-yes...] More muffled sounds afterward. [I don't know... where I am... Um... if I get back to town... on my own... uhh... no, that place won't work...]

Bucky poked Steve, who'd been playing with a streamer on a stick with Sergeant on the floor. "I can track your phone," he said while moving to find his laptop.

[So can they...] Stef whispered to him as Steve quietly watched Bucky.

"Not this one, you know which one I'm talking about."

[The purple one...?] Stef let out a laugh, but her pain was obvious. After a second, she added, [I need to hang up...]

"I'll find you, hold on!" Bucky almost yelled as the line went dead and he desperately opened the laptop and started it up.

"Any idea where she is? Any hints?" Steve asked him.

"She didn't know, she's lost. I'm tracking her personal phone. Get Clint and Mia now! I'll have her location soon," he ordered, fingers flying over the keyboard.

Steve nodded and left, trying the doorknob of the other apartment rather than knocking, glad to find it unlocked as he headed in. "Guys, she called."

Clint looked over, nudging Mia a little. "Where we headed then?"

"Buck's finding out now," Steve said.

Mia let out a little sigh as she woke up. "Bad news?"

"Yeah."

"Any intel?"

"She's lost. Buck's trying to track her phone." He led them back to Bucky. "Any luck finding her?"

His fingers were still flying over keys. "Almost...."

Clint stretched a little in the doorway. "I hope it's not that far."

Bucky flipped the screen around to show everyone the location. "There, that's where her phone is at least. Hopefully she's still with it."

Stepping up to the computer, Clint looked it over. "Well, this is gonna take a little bit to get to..."

"We'd better get going. Let me grab the rest of my weapons and Clint an' I'll head out," Mia said with determination in her voice. "We'll call you to let you know what we find then follow."

Clint kept watch of the screen, trying to figure something out. "Hmm..."

"What you thinkin', Hawkeye?"

"Some things are just a little... Hmm. Alright." He turned to Bucky. "If there's any major change in her location, contact us." After one last glance at the screen to be sure, he walked out of the apartment.

"We'll get her," Mia assured as she followed him out.

"Hopefully she's alone," Clint had to say, making a quick stop at their own apartment for Mia. "It's weird though..."

"What's weird?" she asked, strapping on her sheath and adjusting her quiver and bow.

"Trained assassin with horrible navigation skills? Calling Buck instead of you this time?" He leaned against the wall to wait for her. "I dunno, just seems... I dunno. Maybe I'm thinking too much."

"Most assassinations are carried out by staying put and shooting once, at least in most of the jobs she pulled; or hanging around one spot until an opportunity arose to complete the mission. Movement hadn't been important until now."

"But... Yeah... Considering how she didn't want him involved... Hmm..."

"Maybe she panicked...."

"Maybe, or..." Clint looked around to make sure they were alone before suggesting, "... or luring him out? I mean, I don't want to think about that, but..."

"Or if it's what I think, she might not have wanted me to come. There's too many variables and not enough evidence."

"We'll be finding out."

"Yep, let's get going, Hawkeye."

He nodded and they left.


	12. Chapter 12

It had gotten quiet after getting rid of her work phone. Maybe she had managed to escape after all. Maybe.

She was resting by a tree, her back against it, as she stared at her phone. Should she call again? Would that attract the people after her now? She opened it to check the time. The sun wasn't going to be up for a while yet. Maybe she could cover at least a little more distance, hopefully in the right direction.

There was a noise in the distance; it was just a snap of a twig, but still suspicious.

Quickly closing and sliding the phone back into her pocket, Stef pulled out her father's knife, waiting behind the tree as still as she could. A figure appeared, features blurred by the darkness. "Come out, come out wherever you are, naughty little girl. It's time for Winter to end."

She tried to keep her breathing as quiet as possible, waiting.

"I know you're here. I'm very good at following people. Make it easier on yourself and just surrender. I'll make it quick and painless."

Stef stayed, changing her hold on the knife. She was certainly not going to make it easy for them.

The figure pulled something off its waist, followed by the distinct click of a gun being readied. "So, the hard way then. This will be fun."

"Sure," she finally spoke, "but you'll royally piss someone off with this."

"Oh? She speaks! You think your keepers care what happens to you now? You've become a liability that needs taken care of."

"My parents would destroy you."

The figure laughed as they silently moved closer. "So you found your genetic donors. That explains so much. Well, I might be able to kill more than one bird tonight."

"So sure of yourself," she whispered, preparing herself.

Stopping feet from where she was hiding, Stef’s opponent started sighting her tree. Taking a breath, and thinking a silent sorry to Bucky, Stef moved from behind the tree, sending the knife flying at the figure's face. There was a crack as a shot was fired off, the knife embedding itself near the shoulder of the figure, and they swore violently. She flinched as the bullet struck her, but ran at the figure, kicking at them to knock them off their feet, but they jumped over her kick and managed to grab a handful of hair and viciously yanked, making Stef yelp in pain and grip the hand with her metallic one, squeezing tight to try and break it. "Let go!!"

A small metal disk was placed on her arm, sending a jolt of electricity to disable it, and then her opponent jerked back on her hair, causing her to stumble. "Now, now, didn't think I wouldn't come prepared."

"Nngghh... You..."

They threw her roughly to the ground, keeping their hand in her hair while taking a set of restraints off their belt with the other. They then gripped her wrist and pulled it behind her, applying the restraints. "You should have surrendered. Now I get to have fun."

Stef cursed in Russian at them while she tried to pull free.

"These were made for daddy dearest. You're mine, little girl." The hands went back to her hair, pulling her head up to look into a man's gleaming brown eyes.

She glared at him, trying to push back the pain. "He's gonna kill you.. You won't see it coming.."

"But I'll have so much fun before he can get to you. I worked with your father. Wonder if they removed all his trigger phrases. If they didn't..." He shrugged as drug her to her feet.

She tried stomping on his foot with her boot once she was up, but he gave her a shove away from him before grabbing her restraints and moving her towards a parking area. "The more you misbehave, the worse it will be for you. If you stop now, you might be able to keep that lovely arm of yours." He shoved her into the back of an unmarked black SUV where a couple more armed men were waiting in the front before he climbed in behind her. "It's nothing to me how many limbs you have while I work on you. Now I know you know where The Asset is. This makes it even sweeter."

Cautiously eyeing the men around her, Stef muttered, "You won't get his location from me. Besides... I'm hopeless with directions."

He hummed. "But it's still inside that pretty little head of yours and we have ways of extracting it. So sit back and enjoy the ride because I guarantee you won't like the destination."

"I already don't like the company..."

"Better enjoy it while you can. It only gets worse from here."


	13. Chapter 13

\---A few minutes later---

Mia and Clint arrived at a little park on the outskirts of the city. "This the place?"

Clint looked around. "Was..." He scanned the area some more. "I don't see anyone."

An SUV screeched out of the parking area. "I have a bad feeling we just missed her..." Mia mumbled as they watched it leave.

"Oh, crap..." Clint checked his pockets for a moment then stepped up to her, asking, "Could I borrow your phone..?" Mia took it out of her belt holster and handed it over, trying to keep track of what direction the vehicle was headed. Clint quickly called up Bucky while looking for a way of transportation. "See anything we can hotwire, Mia?"

She went to the parking area and there was one lone decrepit looking car sitting there. "I'll get it going."

"Great," he said, following behind her. "Come on, Buck," he muttered into the phone.

Bucky finally answered, [What, I've got movement!]

"We're gonna need you to tell us where she's headin' while we catch up. SUV was taking off just as we got here."

[Got you, they're headed north on], Bucky rattled off a street name as Mia got the car started and jumped into the driver's seat.

"Thanks." Clint slid into the passenger side and passed the name on to Mia.

She tore out of the parking lot, hoping they caught up before anything happened. "Put him on speaker, it'll make it easier."

Clint stared at the phone a moment before figuring it out. "Alright, Buck, on speaker, keep us updated." He set the phone down on the dash before rolling his window down all the way. Bucky kept barking out directions and Mia took a few shortcuts to cut the distance between them until they saw the fast moving SUV just ahead.

"I can get 'im," Clint told her, already pulling his bow off his shoulder and reaching for an arrow. Mia kept the wheel steady as Clint moved to sit on the edge of the window to take the shot. He focused as he aimed at the tire, loosing the arrow, but the SUV swerved at the last second, the arrow hitting the bumper.

"Not cool, dude!" Clint grabbed another arrow. "I would try to blow up the tire, but if he swerves like that again, it might..." He took aim a second time.

Mia gave him a look. "Want me to try or see if I can get closer for a transfer?"

"If I don't make this..." He let the second arrow loose. "Hit, hit, hit, hit..."

The arrow sunk itself into the tire, making a loud popping noise as it went flat and the SUV swerved out of control. Mia slammed on the breaks, the other vehicle going off the road before coming to a stop. She had her throwing knives at the ready when she flew out of the car. No one was moving inside, so she threw the driver's door open, only to find a shaking teen inside an otherwise empty vehicle. "What the..."

Clint ran over to see. "Oh, crap... Mia, make sure the kid's okay!" He rushed back to the car, grabbing the phone. "Barnes, what's the computer telling you?"

[You should be right on top of her, why, what's going on?]

"She ain't here, Barnes. SUV had a kid drivin' but it isn't her."

[WHAT!!!!!]

Mia was tending to the kid as she interrogated him about what he was doing while Clint made his way back to her. "He tell you where he got the phone?"

"Said he didn't know anything about a phone; some guy gave him the SUV to take a joyride in."

He looked at the kid. "Did he have a girl with him?"

"I didn't see one, he had a group of guys and a few big bags," the boy explained. "That's all I know. Wanted to borrow my uncle's work van in exchange."

"What does the van look like?"

The kid described a pretty common white cargo van with no real distinguishable marks on it, due to the fact that it was a new purchase and hadn't had the logo put on yet.

"Damn it." Clint looked down at the phone in his hands and stared at it a moment before finally ending the call. "Alright... Mia, what do we do now? Search out white vans?"

"I... I don't know... This is bad, this is really bad..."

"Should we go back for now...? I mean, we can try following all the white work vans in town, but we might not get far."

Mia closed her eyes. "I guess... I don't... This has his signature all over it... I don't want her to..."

"Mia, we... we don't have much to go on right now." Turning to the boy, he said, "Sorry, kid. Don't take cars from strangers anymore."

"Find the phone, Clint," Mia told him. "Maybe..."

"Alright..." Pulling the back door open, he checked inside, running his hand under the seats, finding the purple phone. "Nice color choice."

"Gimme," Mia demanded as she held out her hand.

He handed it over. "What are you doing with it?"

Holding up a finger, she unlocked the phone and started scrolling through before sucking in a breath.

"What? What does that mean? Mia?"

"Come here, I'm only watching this once."

He moved beside her to watch whatever it was. There was a bad quality video that was clearly taken in the back of the SUV of what was clearly Rumlow smiling into the phone's camera. "Well hello, Soldier. If you're watching this, then my little decoy worked and I've completed the first part of my mission. I'm going to take good care of her," he said, reaching down and pulling Stef up by the back of her hair. "Say something to daddy, little Winter."

Stef flinched a bit due to the hair pulling, but still managed to growl at Rumlow, "Fuck you; you can't even capture one girl on your own, you little wuss! You fugly piece of shit!"

He jerked her head around, slamming it harshly as he shoved her back down. "Now, you know where your chair is kept; I'll be waiting. Make it quick or baby girl will be in more pieces than you can put back together."

Clint let out a breath as the video ended, "Oh man..." He looked at Mia. "We don't need to show him... Ask him where to go, we'll figure something out."

"You think they're gonna sit back on this? Honestly, I think we need them. This is worse than I thought..."

"He's gonna try chargin' in there on his own." He nodded to the car they had used. "Ready?"

Mia nodded. "Call Cap; we'll pick them up and make a plan on the way."

Clint dialed up Steve while they walked back to the car. "Hey, Cap, how is he? ... Well, Mia and I are comin' back. We're getting you guys and then headin' out again... We'll explain later. Just make sure he doesn't charge off by himself, alright? We're on our way." He hung up and finally returned Mia's phone.

"Let's get going."

"Yep." He climbed into the passenger side of the car.

Mia glanced down and bent over to pick something up and smiled before getting into the driver's seat.

Clint watched her, a confused expression on his face. "A smile?"

She held out a blood covered knife. "Well, looks like she gave him a reason to be pissed."

"Ow, that had to hurt."

"Good girl."

"Remind me to never piss her off after we get her back."

"Let's just hope we can," she replied as she started the car and started driving them back home.

"We will." He watched the cars they passed.

"The quicker, the better. I don't want her changed like I was..."

"We'll get the guys, find the bastard, kick his ass, and get her back."

Mia nodded, putting her foot down on the accelerator a bit more.

As they eventually pulled up to the apartment building, Clint turned to Mia. "Do we mention the video...?"

She sighed. "We have to. Unless you know where Brock's talking about?"

"Man..." Clint scratched the back of his head. "Let's get that over with then," he said, getting out of the car.

They quickly went up the stairs and about a floor away they heard the yelling from Steve's place.

"Ready...?" Clint asked, going up that last set of stairs.

"Not really but no other choice, really." She knocked on the door, hoping that Bucky wasn't beyond reason.

"Buck, calm down!" came Steve's voice. "That's probably them." After a few moments the door opened and he looked at them. "Hey, thanks for coming back," he said, pulling them both inside. "Barton, you might need to help with restraining him if it comes to it."

"No thanks..." Clint mumbled, eyeing Bucky cautiously.

Mia walked over to the ranting dark haired man and threw herself into his arms for a hug, which shocked him enough to stop for a second. "I'm sorry."

Bucky looked down at the woman wrapped around him. "I told her not to go... Why didn't she listen?"

"Maybe she couldn't say no?" wondered Clint. "Dunno. But, uh.. it's worse than her simply being taken. We found out who. He left a video on her phone for you."

Bucky gently extracted himself from Mia's hold and looked at Clint. "From her reaction, I'm guessing who it's from..."

"Yeah..."

"Well, are you going to show it to me or what?"

"She's got the phone."

Mia took the phone out of her pocket. "I'm not watching it again, but here," she said as she gave it to him and went to sit on a chair in the kitchen.

Steve walked over to Bucky as the man hit play, the tension in Bucky's body visibly going up as he watched, Steve putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll kill him..." Bucky swore.

"First, we have to get there. We can't just charge in," Steve pointed out.

Mia came over then. "I have an idea, but I bet the blond wonders won't like it."

Steve looked at her, already not liking it as he asked, "What's your idea...?"

"Bait him," she replied simply. "Let Barnes and I lead and you two make sure his goons are out of the equation."

"Do you have to go in, Mia?" Clint asked her. "We can just send Barnes in. He's the one Rumlow wants."

She sighed as she went over to Clint and placed a hand on his arm. "Yes, he wants The Soldier, but having me there will surprise him, maybe make him slip up enough to make it easier to stop him."

"Tempt him with a treasured toy. I get it," Bucky stated matter of factly.

Clint pouted at them. "Mia..."

"Anybody's got a better idea, then by all means say it. We need him off balance if we're going to succeed."

Steve folded his arms over his chest. "I agree with you on this one, Mia... but you both have to be cautious. If they use Bucky's trigger words..."

Mia jerked her head in a nod. "I'll take care of it."

"What will you do if that happens?"

She got an evil smile on her face. "There's more than one way to stop triggers. Just hope he uses Bucky's and not mine."

Steve stared at her. "You..."

"Was his plaything for years. He learned a bit from being The Asset's handler. Figured he could put it to good use on his killer girlfriend as well."

"Crap..." was all Clint could say to that. "We really need to get going then. Where's that chair he mentioned?"

"Barnes?" Mia said, looking at him as he stared at her oddly.

Bucky shook his head and laid out where the place was and the best ways in and out of it. Eventually, Steve brought up a question, after discussing the layout of the building they would be going to. "How long does it take them to brainwash someone...?"

"Longer than he's getting," she answered. "Worst that's happening is he's started the physical breaking." Bucky just nodded in agreement.

"She's not gonna give in without a fight at least," Clint noted, remembering. "We found the knife she got him with."

Bucky was curious. "What knife?"

"Mia has everything."

"Here," she said, handing the knife to him.

Steve looked it over. "Gave her your knife, huh, Buck?"

"For luck..."

"Well, she got him with it," said Clint. "Now, you all head out to the car, I'll be down in a few. Just gotta tell a neighbor to check on the animals while we're gone."

Mia nodded and ushered the super soldiers to the car.

Steve looked down at the car as they approached it. "Will this make it there?"

Mia gave him an apologetic look as Bucky took a set of keys out of his pocket. "This is for you and Barton. We're taking your bike."

He glanced at her a moment before looking back at the car again, quietly saying, "Fine."

"We'll be fine," Mia assured him as Bucky brought the bike around and she jumped on. "Follow as soon as you can," she told Steve just before they tore off.

After a little while Clint finally came outside, looking around. "They took my bike," Steve explained, climbing into the driver's seat.

"Do I really want you driving?" Clint asked as he got in the passenger side.

"You don't have a choice right now," Steve told him, turning on the ignition.


End file.
